The Saviour
by Obezyankanol
Summary: The war is over and the Trio are about to return for their Eighth year. Harry attends the Malfoy's trial and takes it upon himself to stick his neck out for his arch rival in order to save his life. It is clear that the trio will be forced to adapt to life with a Malfoy. Will Harry see something more in Draco? Is Ron always so dense? Why is Hermione staring at snape like that?
1. Chapter 1

Ron and Hermione were making their way back for the Eighth and final time to Hogwarts on the Hogwarts express. There was only one thing that was odd this particular train ride other than the fact that nobody had made an eighth trip to Hogwarts as a student. Harry who had made this journey with them so many times was absent and it was having a particularly obvious effect on the pair left to travel alone.

"I miss Harry" Hermione said impatiently after sitting in silence for half an hour watching Ron stuff his face with all kinds of sweet treats from the Trolley.

"Yeah me too, but he'll be here tonight. He said he would be back in time for the feast" Ron stated.

"I hope he's doing OK, I wish we could have gone with them." Hermione mused.

"He is with Dumbledore and Snape, there is nothing bad that can happen. Besides Voldemort is gone and after today all of the Death eaters will have been tried and sentenced. Can't get much better than that." Ron smiled and shrugged whilst battling to open a box of Bertie Botts.

"Yes" said Hermione "but why did he have to be there for the Malfoy trial?"

Dumbledore had insisted Harry was present for this trial but had prevented him from going to any of the others which seemed curious to her.

"Because, who would want to miss out on that ?! I am genuinely gutted I didn't get to go, I would love to watch the whole lot of them get the kiss." Ron said excitedly

Hermione bristled at this, "You simply can't mean that, I would hate to see that even if it was the Malfoys."

"But they tried to kill us! At least a dozen times. I definitely mean it, I would like to do it myself if I could!"

Hermione sat up straight at this, her eyes wide and a devious smile on her lips, "You want to kiss the Malfoys?"

"You know what I mean, I would set the dementors on that lot myself if I could, moreover I would laugh all the way through" Ron practically shouted "oh bollocks" he groused as the Bertie Botts finally won the battle and scattered in all directions causing Hermione to laugh loudly.

"I guess," she continued, "we will find out this evening when Harry gets back."

They returned to the companionable silence and Hermione turned back to the window to watch the world go by as they neared their destination. Ron was frowning and trying his best to salvage as many beans as he could before stuffing them in his face unceremoniously.

Hermione started to think more on the subject, turning more and more serious. Did she really want the Malfoys to suffer? Yes, that was definite. They were cruel, vile and evil and they needed to be punished. Would it be right for them to be essentially erased from existence using the Dementors' kiss? She pondered this for a while, and came to the conclusion that she did not. Maybe Lucius, he had little to no redeeming features, well other than his actual features. It seemed a cruel irony that somebody that beautiful, almost angelic could be so dark and disturbed.

Draco though, he was a coward through and through. Her mind was drawn back to that wondrous moment in third year when she had her wand to his throat. He was quaking, Lucius wouldn't have shown such fear at the hands of a Mudblood witch. Was he just scared all along, so scared that he had no choice in the matter.

What did that assessment mean? Was he worth trying to save, trying to lead him out of the darkness that had been imposed on him?

Probably not, but maybe... just maybe.

"Dumbledore?!" Ron exclaimed, interrupting Hermione's train of thought.

"What?" Hermoine sighed.

"I got bloody Dumbledore again, I must have about ten of them now." He showed Hermione the wizard card he had retrieved from his Chocolate frog box.

"You know what?" Hermione asked rolling her eyes, whilst resting back on the coarse seats of the railway carriage.

"Wha-mph" Replied Ron stuffing the third chocolate frog of the last twenty minutes into his face.

Hermione wrinkled her nose, raising an eyebrow before continuing.

"Once Harry gets here, I think this year is going to be the best year at Hogwarts we have ever had, if not the most interesting." she smiled and glanced out of the window.

"We can only hope Hermione, we can only bloody hope" Ron stated.

Harry was uncomfortable, he would rather have been anywhere but here in front of the Wizengamot. Why did this room always seem so sinister. Why couldn't they have made it beautiful, bright and airy instead of dark and eerie. Justice in itself was beautiful and yet this room where all the wizarding trails took place seemed to have drawn all of its inspiration straight from a horror story.

Everybody sat around him was murmuring amongst themselves excitedly like they were about to watch a play or were sitting through an awards ceremony. The reality was somewhat more daunting.

Harry had Dumbledore sat to his left and Snape sat to his right, both of which were deathly silent. Dumbledore was looking pensive whereas Snape was looking thoroughly apprehensive.

Harry was painfully aware that Snape was very close to Lucius at least in the past, this must have been a difficult event for him to witness especially because Draco was his godson. He was charged with protecting him and he was quite possibly about to watch him receive his death sentence.

There was a sudden silence as the minister for magic entered and took his seat at the head of Wizengamot.

"Bring them in" was all he said once he had made himself comfortable.

The Malfoys were led in by chains attached to some rather brutal looking manacles around their wrists. Dumbledore had explained earlier that they were imbibed with magical dampening charms to ensure that any attempt at escape was foiled before it even began.

Dumbledore cleared his throat and threw a hesitant glance to Professor Snape to gauge his emotional response to the sight before him. Snape just stared straight ahead unmoving.

Harry was completely unaware of anything occurring next to him, or indeed anywhere else in the room. He just could not take his eyes away from the Malfoys. They were dressed in what can only be described as sacks that barely covered their modesty. They were unwashed, unshaven and completely dishevelled. Lucius was attempting to retain the air of complete control, as if he was unfazed by any of this though it was clearly a façade.

Narcissa was looking pointedly at her feet, there were tear stains marring the dirt and _was that blood?_ upon her face and she was standing behind Lucius as if he could protect her from the impending doom. It was clear that she was resigned to the fact that she was about to be sent for slaughter.

Draco was standing close to his mother, he repeatedly tried to catch his mother's eye it was unclear why and he was pulling at his cover as though it would lengthen it. He was shaking, whether that was from the chill he must be feeling or fear was unclear, Harry couldn't take his eyes off him. He had thought he would enjoy seeing the Malfoys brought to their knees. He couldn't have been more wrong, there was a sadness that permeated his thoughts and he had the overwhelming sense that even though these people were evil he wanted to help them, protect them almost. He quickly dismissed that idea, even if he could would he help them? He was undecided.

The Trial began and Harry turned to Snape, he was sitting bolt straight as if in solidarity with Lucius and the Malfoy pride. He was listening to everything being said with trepidation, every word was damning the Malfoys, there was no defence heard and eventually after at least 40 minutes of evidence against them it had finally ended up time to announce the verdict and sentence.

Narcissa was crying silently and now had her arm around her son, who had his eyes closed as if in silent prayer.

All Harry heard of the Verdict and sentence was "guilty" and "the kiss, to be given immediately to each of the Malfoys"

Narcissa burst into hysterics, "Please, not Draco. He is just a boy, just take us please."

Fudge silenced her "You are aware of the laws of our world Mrs Malfoy, there is no negotiation in this you will all receive the kiss immediately" though he did not seem to enjoy the words as they left his mouth.

Dumbledore, who had been silent throughout the entire event cleared his throat and started to speak.

"Minister, if you please. I would like to remind you that there is in fact one clause that allows the victim of the crimes committed to pass the sentence once the verdict has been reached. By happen stance I have that victim sat beside me."

Shit, thought Harry. Did that mean what he thought it meant.

Fudge sighed, "Yes Dumbledore, unfortunately you are quite right and I had feared that was the reason you had brought poor Harry to this rather dreadful affair."

Fudge raised his hand and wiped it down his face before continuing,

"The wizengamot recognises Harry Potter as the main, but not sole victim of these crimes and will relinquish the sentence to his sound judgement."

Double shit thought Harry.

"Stand up Harry, if you decide to agree with the sentence passed then please by all means send the Malfoys to the dementors and dispense with them for good. Though of course if you have a _different_ sentence that you would feel would fit these crimes better then pass that sentence now" said Dumbledore quietly so only Harry could hear.

Snape didn't say a word, but when Harry's eyes locked with his for a brief moment there was the obvious evidence of determined hope which Harry didn't ever recall seeing in his eyes before now.

Could have given me a heads up Dumbledore Harry thought when he was finally standing, he nodded his head once and steeled himself before he tried to understand what he should say next.

"Their lives are literally in your hands" Snape whispered. "please." He choked on the last word as though it physically pained him to speak it to Harry.

Five long minutes passed by with Harry staring squarely at Draco, he didn't pay any mind to the elder Malfoys.

"Draco, look at me." He announced.

It took Draco by surprise and he flinched further into his mother.

Harry grimaced, it was unnerving seeing Malfoy in this state. No sneering, no sarcastic comments just fear.

He slowly looked up at him through his lashes, and Harry took in a small gasp. He hadn't realised just how desperate he looked until their eyes met. He was thoroughly broken, whatever treatment he had endured at Azkaban awaiting his trial and punishment had done enough to force him to beg Harry of all people with his eyes to save him. The Malfoy pride was gone and in its place was a boy of Harry's age who was possibly minutes from death and he was scared, terrified even.

This was not right, frowning and straightening his spine with anger he looked away from Draco and up to Snape. He simply nodded to his professor once and looked back to Draco.

"Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy" he spoke never breaking eye contact with his peer. "You are to be stripped of your wands and returned to your home under house arrest for the period of" Harry floundered public speaking was never his strong point "em … one year." Harry shrugged, then continued "at which point another trial will be held to determine your danger to others." The words came from him with an authority he had never before possessed.

"And Draco Malfoy" he continued. "I would have you released to professor Snape and professor Dumbledore as their charge. You will remain with me, at Hogwarts and continue your magical training as my ward." He then turned to fudge when he could no longer bare to see the pained eyes of the blonde boy in front of him. "Minister, I will take responsibility for Draco and his behaviour until the trial in one year to ensure he is no danger to others or himself."

Fudge appeared proud if anything and he simply said "Agreed" and "adjourned"

Dumbledore smiled at Harry and spoke but two words to him.

"Well done."

Snape rested his hand on Harry's shoulder gaining Harry's attention, he squeezed almost painfully and said "Thank you Potter, Thank you so much."

Harry finally looked back at Draco who had not looked away from him the entire time.

Harry couldn't place the emotion playing on Draco's face. Gratitude? Relief? It didn't matter though as the Malfoys were led back out of the room before Harry could ponder on it any longer.

All Harry could think was Ron at the very least was going to be pissed off at this little turn of events.

Harry looked upwards "God help me"


	2. Chapter 2

The Malfoys were led out before Harry, Dumbledore and Snape. They were still shackled at the wrists and they were still covered in the filthy rags that they had been paraded around in during the trial.

Snape made a small sound of disgust in the back of his throat at the obvious mistreatment of his friends, and Godson, turning his head from the smell emanating from them.

"You will kneel for those that have spared your life Deatheater scum" ordered an Auror whose name Harry was sure he had known at some point but could not quite recall.

"I don't think that will really be necessary" Harry spoke.

Draco dropped to his knees almost immediately, he fell so fast he winced when his bare knees came into harsh contact with the cold stark tiles of the floor. Narcissa gracefully knelt, but Lucius didn't move.

"I said kneel" The Auror barked.

There was a loud crack, like that of a whip though there was none to be seen accompanied by a tangible rush of air and magic and Lucius gave out a small cry as an angry purple-red line appeared high on his thighs and he submitted to the Aurors request. The line of his jaw twitching with the effort to conceal the burning pain across his thighs.

Harry became incensed, before either Snape or Dumbledore could speak or react he surprised all of them by sternly stating "That is enough, there is no reason for them to kneel and there is certainly no reason for them to be tortured!"

Snape was already muttering a healing charm by this point and the mark across Lucius' thighs visibly lessened as the minutes began to tick forward. Lucius gave a curt nod of thanks to Snape but nothing more.

Harry looked to Draco and saw fat tears rolling down his cheeks.

An unwelcome warmth chill bloomed in his chest, similar to that any person feels when they see another suffer. Harry tried not to show how very uncomfortable he really was, surely anyone would have found this scene fairly gut wrenching. He found himself walking over to his classmate, hesitantly he stood in front of him for a good long while before he did the only thing he could think of and knelt down to bring them to the same level. Harry placed a hand gently on Draco's shoulder. Harry immediately recoiled at how cold he was. His skin was like ice so Harry without thinking took off his robe and wrapped it around him aiding him to stand. A loud sob escaped Draco's throat, a small sense shame twisted in Harry's stomach at how pathetic his school nemesis appeared, at how broken he was but it was followed by a wave of nauseous guilt. "Erm" Harry stumbled and moved Draco gently so that he was in his mother's arms, moving quickly back to Dumbledore's side and begging him to take charge with a desperate look.

Severus was draping his own cloak over Narcissa and Lucius was being wrapped up in the nameless Auror's cloak after what seemed to be a stern and whispered telling off by Snape.

Dumbledore cleared his throat, whispering a warming charm that spread comfortably throughout the room and visibly helped Narcissa stop shivering along with Draco.

Just as the relief was showing on Draco's face another body entering the room and wiped the look from him, his head dropping pointedly back to the floor as the grip on his mother tightened.

Harry turned to find the source of his discomfort and his gaze landed on Fudge.

"So, right then, well this is an unusual case. I thought we would have had three more unfortunate drooling kiss victims by now and the whole thing would be over and done with but now things have gotten decidedly more difficult but of course not necessarily in a bad way." Announced Fudge.

"What do you mean Cornelius?" Asked Dumbledore, Harry was frowning and Snape had merely raised an eyebrow in response. The three Malfoy's were refusing to meet anybody's eye other than Lucius who was looking intensely at Snape as if he were silently conversing with him.

Harry realised that it was entirely possible that they were, oddly wondering if he would be able to do that and how it was achieved before his attention was drawn back to the Minister.

Fudge looked about to answer when he noticed the unnamed Auror lurking behind Narcissa.

"Ah, Coburn! There you are I had been wondering who had been charged with our 'guests' here." Fudge said loudly.

So that was his name, thought Harry, Coburn. It didn't seem to ring any bells with Harry but there was something undeniably familiar about him that Harry could not place.

"Well Coburn, you know what Dumbledore? This one will be going very far in the ministry he is a very, very talented agent and loyal to the cause through and through. He hasn't let one dark wizard though his clutches in over thirty-five missions since the start of the war." Fudge had moved over to Coburn wrapped an arm around him and was patting his shoulder much like a proud father would, whilst moving him towards the exit of the room.

"That will be all I think Coburn, could you go and work on the Greyback report please." He said ushering him out of the room and closing the door behind him before he had a chance to reply.

Harry shuddered at the mention of Greyback, the hairs on his neck standing upright as a chill ran down his spine.

Fudge turned swiftly on his heel to face Dumbledore once more and then muttered a silencing charm.

"Between you and me, I have wanted to overturn the dementors kiss for years, there is too little known about how well convicted wizards can be rehabilitated to take such a drastic and irrevocable decision." Fudge explained.

"Very progressive of you minister." Snape offered, his face unreadable.

The minister continued "I have a few colleagues who agree but not enough to re-write the wizarding laws surrounding the Kiss. This case could be the evidence I need that the dementors need not be used except in the most extreme of cases. If between the three of you..." Gesturing to Harry, Dumbledore and Snape "...can rehabilitate the Malfoys into society, make them functional members of our world again I might have a chance and creating a fairer Judicial system for the future. To be honest the flagrant use of the Kiss, make us little better than the Dark wizards we have been fighting." He finished a pained look crossing his features.

"Then we shall of course, do our utmost to ensure an easy transition for the Malfoys from dark wizards to upstanding members of our community" Dumbledore beamed, he was clearly speaking to fudge but his eyes locked with Harrys the entire time causing a suspicious frown to emerge on Harry's face.

 _What are you up to old man?_ Harry thought to himself, but he didn't have time to linger on the thought before Fudge clapped his hands and paperwork outlining the contract between our three heroes and the ministry concerning the guardianship of the Malfoys and their estate.

Harry didn't bother to read through the contract as fudge read out some of the more important parts to them all out loud, more for the Malfoys benefit than anyone else.

Fudge cleared his throat.

"Mr and Mrs Malfoy and Master Malfoy are to report with their assigned guardian(s) to the Ministry of Magic once a month for a thorough evaluation. There will also be weekly fire calls with the Guardians to report on any significant progress made with their charges."

"Wands will be removed for the duration of one year with the exception of one Draco Malfoy who will retain his wand to use magic for his magical studies at Hogwarts. The only time magic can be performed by the aforementioned is with one Harry James Potter present and the wand will remain in his care"

"Any and all …" That was as far as Harry got before his attention wandered back to the Malfoys.

Severus was listening intently to all of the rules and regulations being put on the family as was Dumbledore. Lucius was looking peculiarly at Harry as if he was trying to understand just why Harry had stuck his neck out for the very people who had been trying to kill him. Harry's gaze swept to Narcissa whom Draco was still clinging to desperately. She smiled a sad smile at him, too afraid to voice her appreciation to him aloud. He smiled back, a half smile, he was unsure if they should be grateful with the never-ending list of restrictions being read out by fudge.

Finally, his gaze rested on Draco, who looked up at him shyly. Harry could feel a blush enter his cheeks. Malfoy had never looked at him like that before and for some reason his body was heating up because of it. He opened his mouth to speak but was cut off by Snape.

"Sign Harry, if you are happy with the terms" He said.

He couldn't exactly decide if he was happy with the terms, namely because he hadn't really been listening to the vast majority of them but he was happy that he had done the right thing and so he went to sign but stopped suddenly.

"Erm"… he said confused "there's no quill"

Shocking everyone, it was Draco who spoke.

"Your wand Potter, you have to sign it with your magical signature." Draco soon realised he was being stared at by everyone in the room and he buried his face in his mothers' side as quickly as he could.

Harry mumbled a quick thanks' and raised his wand, a large spark of blue light burst forth and his name appeared at the bottom of the contract next to Snape and Dumbledores'.

"Severus, you take Mr and Mrs Malfoy to the Manor if you would and perform the necessary wards. Harry and I will escort the young master Malfoy back to school. Arrangements are being made now for your Accomodation. I believe it prudent that you both have a separate living area from your fellow house mates due to the necessity for Draco to remain so close to yourself over the course of the next year.

After another ten minutes, during which Draco, Lucius and Narcissa were afforded the time to say goodbye properly Snape had apparated the two Elder Malfoys with himself to the manor leaving Harry alone with Dumbledore and a very quiet Draco.

Fudge bid them all good luck and left them to apparate to Hogwarts.

"Well, I believe it prudent that we get you two settled before the end of the feast to avoid any calamities involving your peers." Said Dumbledore.

In the split second before Dumbledore apparated them, there was only one thought going through Harry's mind and that was that Ron and Hermione were not going to be happy at this turn of events.


	3. Chapter 3

**Authors Notes:**

 **Thanks to all those who have favourited the story and reviewed it really does mean the world.**

 **Thanks so much for taking the time to read my little story, it is my first so I am definitely open to some healthy criticism if you would like to offer any.**

 **Hope you enjoy the next chapter.**

Harry, Malfoy and Dumbledore arrived in the hospital wing where Malfoy was immediately set upon by Madame Pomfrey.

"Oh, you poor dear, let me have a good look at you" She fussed over him.

She put one hand on his back and steered him to sit on the nearest bed whilst she performed several diagnostic charms to ensure that he was in perfect health.

Malfoy just shivered and pulled Harry's cloak tighter around himself refusing to make eye contact with anyone.

Dumbledore took this opportunity to take Harry to one side and his expression went serious for a moment.

"I have no doubt that you are aware of this but a lot is riding on the outcome of this next year. Mister Malfoy is delicate to say the least and how much he can recover will be down to how much effort we all put into his rehabilitation."

"I know professor" Harry nodded.

"So, how are you feeling about all this? I know that once again I have dragged you into something much bigger than you were expecting, I am beyond proud of the course of action you took back at the ministry. Mister Malfoy is a Diamond in the rough I think and you are more than capable of helping him to shine, you can leave Narcissa and Lucius to myself and Severus" Dumbledore assured him.

Harry looked pensive for a moment.

"I don't think the boy sat on that bed is anything like the boy I knew before the war, I don't even recognise him. Professor, when I looked into his eyes back there at the ministry I could have been looking at a complete stranger. I can barely look after myself sir, how am I going to take care of him when he is so... damaged?" Harry sighed.

"Once again you have a heavy burden on your young shoulders, but I have no fear that together the two of you will be far stronger at the end of the year." Dumbledore said.

"I'm glad you seem so confident, I'm not so sure." Harry nodded.

Was he ready for all this responsibility? Malfoy was beyond broken, how was he supposed to put him back together again? Could he even? He knew that he would try, for his own sanity he couldn't turn his back on Malfoy now after seeing him so desperate. Nobody was that heartless.

"You're right, it is a heavy burden." Harry said softly, Dumbledore paled slightly at this

"But, this time I am not on a mission to destroy and it's not my life on the line." He said shaking his head "Somehow, I think this will be more difficult a task to handle than anything I have faced yet, but there he is and he needs my help. So if he is willing to accept it, I will help him" Harry announced, sounding more confident than he felt.

"You are wise beyond your years Harry, and you have a such a compassionate heart just like your mother. She would have been very proud."

Harry smiled at this and then looked over to Draco.

"Please don't" Draco begged, tears had begun to fall down his cheeks once more leaving clean lines in the dirt that marred his sharp features.

Madame Pomfrey was attempting to remove the dirty scraps of clothing that were covering Draco's nudity.

"I'm sorry dear, I know you are frightened. I need to see if you have sustained any injuries during your incarceration." Pomfrey said gently.

"I'm fine, please, I just … I don't" Malfoy

Draco was pulling desperately at the filthy cloth trying to cover himself as much as possible.

"Mister Malfoy, I need you to calm down if you can't calm yourself I will be forced to anesthetise you. I must insist that we remove this. Apart from anything else it is unhygienic we need to get you clean and thoroughly examined." She continued.

A loud sob left his throat but he allowed her to remove it leaving him completely exposed. His entire body was filthy and covered in bruises and what appeared to be lash marks similar to that which appeared on Lucius' thighs at the hands of the Auror.

Draco had his eyes squeezed shut and was crying uncontrollably by now covering himself as best he could with his hands.

Madame Pomfrey gasped and looked despairingly at Dumbledore.

Draco pulled his knees up to his chest, wrapping himself into a ball and hiding his face.

Harry reacted again without thinking just as he had at the Ministry, he moved towards Draco quickly grabbing his discarded cloak and wrapped it firmly back around Draco's shoulders to cover him once more. He didn't know if he had done it for himself or for Draco but he knew he was disgusted at whoever had left those marks all over the blonde's pale skin.

"Sir I think Malfoy would benefit from a trip to the bathroom with your permission I would like to take him there and get him cleaned up." Harry stated.

"Yes, I rather think that would be a good idea" Dumbledore nodded his consent.

"I will escort you" He added.

"Here take this" Pomfrey jumped into action after shaking off her shock. She handed Harry a small phial. "It's a healing oil, just get him to rub a little of it gently onto the injured areas once a day in the evenings before he goes to sleep. In a couple of weeks, you should find that those 'marks' have faded to nothing. If he shows any unusual behaviour bring him straight to me." She tried to smile but she faltered and quickly busied herself tidying up the soiled clothing she had removed from Malfoy.

Nothing about any of his behaviour was usual at the moment Harry thought. How was he going to tell the difference?

Harry could have sworn he heard Pomfrey sniffle as though she was on the verge of tears but they were soon on their way out of the door and out of ear shot.

"I think it prudent that we take you to your accommodation Harry you will see why when we get there." Said Dumbledore.

Harry just nodded and gestured for Dumbledore to lead the way, which he did.

The journey to their rooms, took a long while during which time Draco was still sobbing gut wrenchingly. Harry wanted to say something, do something to stop him from crying but he could think of nothing. He could only assume that a pat on the shoulder and a 'there, there' wasn't really going to cut it, he had never been good with the whole feelings thing.

Harry recognised the Tapestry of 'Barnabus the Barmy' and realised they were at the Room of Requirement. As they came to stand in front of the room, Harry was wondering if this was the best place for them to stay, after all it wasn't so much of a secret any longer. As if reading his thoughts Dumbledore spoke.

"Both of your belongings are already inside, I sent word to Minerva to ward the room, it will only allow yourself and Mister Malfoy to enter and of course myself and Severus should you need us."

Dumbledore turned to Draco then who was busy trying to make himself as small and un-noticeable as possible still sniffling but no longer crying.

"Mister Malfoy, I understand you are scared, you are unhappy and in pain but please know that you are safe here and we will do everything in our power to make you feel that way."

Draco nodded but did not raise his gaze to meet Dumbledore's.

"I will leave you to get yourselves settled, report to me first thing in the morning and we will see how your first night panned out. If you need me please don't hesitate to fire call me at any time of the day." Dumbledore smiled then resting his hand on Harry's shoulder.

"Try not to worry Harry, I will inform Miss Granger and Mr Weasley not to expect you this evening but I would imagine a visit to them tomorrow perhaps would be appreciated. Good night Mister Potter, Mister Malfoy and welcome home." With that Dumbledore turned and headed down the corridor, around the corner and out of sight.

What now? Harry thought to himself. He was feeling ridiculously awkward, but he had to do something.

"Erm, Malfoy?" No response. "Would you like to get yourself cleaned up? Maybe get some rest?"

Malfoy didn't speak, he just nodded but made no attempt to invoke the room to open so Harry did walking back and forth and hoping that what he asked for was adequate for their needs.

He waited for Draco to make a move towards the room before he moved, Harry was unsure whether Draco was altogether coherent but he eventually stepped into the open doorway to their new room.

Harry was not disappointed, he had tried to imagine something grand, knowing the Draco was used to the finer things. They had walked into a miniature common room with a crackling fire and two rather luxurious green velvet sofas in the middle of which was a large mahogany coffee table. There was an arched window with a window seat on one wall covered in soft cushions. Harry was unsure how that was there as he was pretty sure the Room of Requirement didn't have any exterior walls but he didn't Dwell on it for too long. The floor was carpeted in a rich red and there were red and green silks hanging from the walls. There were three doors other than the one they entered through one had a large ornate H, one a large D and the other had a B written on it.

"Well, I think we know which bedrooms are which and I can only assume that this one" Harry said walking towards the door with the B "is the Bathroom"

He opened the door and was pleasantly surprised to find that it was a very decadent bathroom. The tub was more like a small swimming pool and was sunken into the floor. There was a shower in the left corner and toilet facilities on the other side. The entire room was covered from floor to ceiling in deep green tiles which gave for a particularly subdued and relaxing ambience. The Door had closed behind him, making him turn around quickly.

Draco had not followed him in, so he moved over to the taps, next to which he found several essential oils. He chose Lavender and Chamomile to try and help Malfoy relax a little and started filling the tub with hot water. Bubbles began to form on the top of the water and soon enough the Bath was full and looked desperately inviting though Harry knew Draco needed it far more than he did.

Harry returned to the common room to find Draco in the exact spot that he had left him, tightening Harry's cloak around him self-consciously.

"Your bath is ready Malfoy, would you like to get yourself settled. I will wait out here for you if you like."

Once again Draco made no noise, but disappeared as directed into the Bathroom.

Harry took a seat closest to the fire and allowed the soothing warmth to spread through his weary body.

Half an hour later Harry found his eyes beginning to close, using a tempus charm he realised it was already past eleven and he was exhausted.

"Hey Malfoy? You doing ok in there?" Harry called. There was no response.

"Malfoy?" Nothing.

"Malfoy?" Still nothing.

Harry sighed, moving towards the bathroom door.

"Draco?" He tried but still garnered no reply.

"I'm coming in Malfoy, make sure you're decent"

Harry walked in almost tripping over his cloak which Draco must have discarded as soon as he entered. Draco had his back to Harry and he was submerged completely so as only his blonde head was visible surrounded completely by bubbles.

"Malfoy?" Harry asked tentatively.

"Potter" Draco croaked.

Harry let out a breath he hadn't noticed he was holding, relief washed over him at finally hearing Malfoy's voice after such a long period of uncharacteristic silence from his old rival.

"I was getting a little sleepy, thought I would make sure you were alright?" Harry asked.

"Mmmm" was Draco's only reply.

Harry circled round the outside of the tub so he could see Draco's face.

"So..." Harry started awkwardly "I guess we are stuck with each other, at least for the next year."

"Mmmmm" Draco moaned again his eyes shut tight and a serene expression on his face.

Harry started looking around the room as if it would give him inspiration for what to say next.

"You seem a little calmer than earlier, you feeling any better?" Harry was seriously at a loss at this point and was considering just running out of the bathroom straight to his bedroom.

Draco's eyes opened and connected immediately with Harry's.

"I think it will take a little more than a simple bath to straighten me out Potter" Draco's words were snappy, venomous and accompanied by a dirty look that Harry found himself rather enjoying though it did take him a little by surprise.

He smiled at Draco then, relief once again made an appearance at the familiar snarky tone and vicious comment. This was a recognisable Draco Malfoy and that lessened the anxious feeling that had been weighing him down all day.

"Definitely feeling better, or at least a little more like your old self" Harry stated.

"I will leave you to your bath then, goodnight Malfoy."

Harry headed towards the door.

"Wait" Draco said just as Harry's hand reached out to open it.

Harry waited for Draco to continue, but he didn't he just shook his head and waved Harry off. He frowned at this but continued out into the common room shutting the door softly behind him.

There was a pile of cauldron cakes on the coffee table and some butterbeer in a jug with two glasses. Harry hadn't even realised he was hungry until he saw them and grabbed a couple of cakes and poured himself a glass sitting on the sofa nearest his bedroom door and munching away happily.

Harry was just starting on his fourth cake, covering the floor and himself in crumbs as he devoured the delicious confection when the door to the bathroom opened and Draco stepped out clad only in a large black towel. He had carefully wrapped it around himself so it covered from his shoulders down to his knees.

"Want somefing to eat? Vese are weally gurd." Harry spoke with his mouthful which earned him a look of disgust from Malfoy. Malfoy sighed and picked one up delicately nibbling it gently and rolling his eyes as Harry stuffed the rest of his in his mouth in one go.

"I almost forgot, the salve that Madame Pomfrey gave me. You have to put it on your …" Harry struggled for the right word. Injuries? no that was too coarse, wounds? Same problem he went with "sore bits before you go to bed."

Draco gave a short laugh at that before he schooled his expression once again into a cold look of indifference.

"Sore bits? You make it sound like I have some sort of STD Potter."

Harry blushed at his poor choice of words.

Malfoy replaced the partially nibbled cauldron cake to the plate wrinkling his nose.

"Do you need me to help you put it on?" Harry asked Draco.

"No" Draco said sharply, at that he grabbed the phial Harry was holding out to him and turned on his heel entering the room with the D on and shutting the door.

It would appear that someone was having trouble controlling his emotions, but then again Harry couldn't really blame him. He could only guess what sort of horrors Draco had been subjected to. He finished the last of his butterbeer and retired to his bedroom.

This was going to be a long year to say the least.

Harry collapsed on his Gryffindor red four poster bed and fell asleep, not for the first time with one Draco Malfoy in his thoughts.


	4. Chapter 4

**Authors Notes:**

 **Got this finished way faster than I thought so I figured I would upload. Laying a little ground work in this chapter for the Snape/Hermione pairing** **Hope you guys enjoy.**

It was still late, Harry glanced at the window noticing it was still pitch-black outside. He was exhausted but a scream emanating from Malfoy's room had woken him and now he found himself stood awkwardly outside Draco's bedroom door trying to figure out if he should go in and check up on him or just leave him to his terrors.

Another yell came from the room, still Harry was unsure whether to enter. If Draco's mood had been anything to go by earlier Harry would be less than a welcome addition to his bedroom. Then again, wasn't he supposed to be helping him? He couldn't very well leave him to suffer through whatever nightmare he was having. It wasn't as if Harry hadn't had his fair share of night terrors, he knew what it felt like.

A louder scream, followed by a thud. At that was enough for Harry and he was in the room with Draco quick as a flash and was confronted with a very naked Malfoy twisted up in his sheets on the floor and covered from head to toe in sweat. Harry made a move then, without hesitation he bent down to help Draco up and with relative ease he seized Draco's arms and righted him. Draco was panting and he was looking around wildly trying to take in his surroundings.

"Here sit on the bed Malfoy catch your breath." Draco sat and Harry sat beside him.

"You're here at Hogwarts, with me. You're safe I swear it." Harry tried to console him, he was feeling awkward though, wringing his hands

Draco's head dropped to his chest his eyes screwed shut as he tried to regain his composure seemingly accepting Harry's words to be the truth.

It was then that Harry had the chance to really assess the damage that had been done to Malfoy's body. The bath had removed the layer of dirt that had covered his pale skin and revealed a tapestry of what Harry could only assume was torture all over his body.

There were at least a dozen bruises and several lash marks which wrapped from one side of Malfoys body to the other across his back. Harry was sickened once more, and he frowned deeply. Bringing his eyes up to look at Malfoys face. He was looking back at Harry, his eyes shimmering with more un-spilled tears.

"I'm disgusting" Malfoy said and one tear escaped his eyes landing heavily on his upper thigh and rolling down onto the bed. Harry's eyes followed it but quickly flicked his eyes back up to Malfoy's face after catching an accidental glimpse of Draco's nether regions.

"What?" Harry asked, at a loss for words.

"Disgusting, you should have left me for the kiss. It's your fault I am still here and it's your fault that you are stuck with me, yet here you are looking at me like I'm dirt" Malfoy spat the words with hatred dripping off every syllable.

"Wait, What?" Harry was extremely confused.

"I just saw you, even the sight of me makes you sick doesn't it. It was the same with the Aurors' they hated me I could see it in their eyes. They wanted my family and I to suffer."

Harry realised Malfoy had misread his disgust at the marks on his body as contempt for the boy he was sat with.

"No, Malfoy!" Harry quickly tried to reassure him.

"Get out" Malfoy interrupted him.

Harry floundered, Malfoy was seriously pissed off.

"Out" Malfoy repeated only this time he stood pointing at the door.

Harry caught another glimpse of Draco's more intimate region and desperately tried to avert his gaze standing up to face Malfoy so they were mere inches apart. Harry was starting to get angry himself.

"Hey, I came in here to help you. You were screaming like a bloody banshee in here and then when I heard you fall I wanted to make sure you were ok. If I thought you were disgusting why would I have gone to the effort of coming in here at all." Harry all but shouted back indignantly.

If Draco's mind had been more coherent he may have backed down a little at that, but he was running on rage and hurt there was very little rational thought making it through.

"That was before you had a look at my body. Go on take a good look! I know you think I deserved this so come on enjoy." He animatedly turned around then displaying his entire bruised and battered body to Harry for his perusal.

Harry's eyes couldn't help but take in the boys' appearance, lingering slightly too long on the firm swell of Malfoys backside when it was presented to him. He could feel his cheeks heat up, and he had to look away. Malfoy misread this action as well, turning back around to face Harry.

"See you can't even look at me" Draco's voice wavered with the threat of tears once more. "I'm disgusting, so get out Potter" he pushed Harry hard in the chest with both hands causing him to stumble over the bed sheets, which littered the floor, falling on his arse.

 _Okay have it your way_ thought Harry, as he scrambled to get back up.

"Fuck this." Harry groused and made to leave the room.

"Wait" Draco said once more, just as he had when Harry had gone to leave the Bathroom earlier.

Again, Malfoy just shook his head and waved him off.

Harry, violently tore open the door and headed straight across the common room into his own bedroom.

"Arsehole" Harry said, throwing himself back down on his bed and burying his head in the pillows.

It didn't take long before he was drifting back off to sleep his body still wracked with exhaustion for his long day previous.

Across the common room Draco was fixing his bed, when he caught sight of himself in a full length mirror. He followed the shape of his body down muttering to himself about how disgusting he was and how the kiss would have been a better end and why did Saint Potter have to go and save him anyway.

"Arsehole" Malfoy said as he slid himself back under the covers of his own bed.

Malfoy knew he was grateful that Harry had stepped in to help him and his family. Why he couldn't articulate that to Harry he didn't know. It seemed every time he wanted to thank him or at least be civil with him he either broke down into fits of hysterical tears or threw needless insults at him as rage bubbled up in his chest.

 _Why can't I just be a normal human being? Why can't I just let him help me?_

"Because you don't trust him, and you know deep down that he doesn't trust you either." Draco spoke aloud to himself.

 _Then that has to be the starting point. He is your last chance, so don't let it slip away._

Draco straightened his bed and climbed in grumbling to himself when the sheets caught on his sensitive skin.

Sleep came to him quickly, and the next thing he knew it was morning and he was determined to act more appropriately with his unlikely saviour.

Harry was eating a full English breakfast in the common room when Malfoy ventured out of his room, dressed in his school robes and looking every bit the perfect Malfoy heir. His clothes hadn't got a single crease in them and his hair was perfectly sculpted around his face.

Harry went to say good morning but thought better of it, expecting little more than a biting remark back he held his tongue.

Malfoy sat next to Harry, grabbing his own breakfast and pouring himself a glass of cold orange Juice before he spoke.

"Good morning" Draco said, not once taking his eyes off his breakfast and taking a sip of his juice.

Harry floundered, but eventually found his voice.

"Morning" he said suspiciously.

They continued eating in silence, Harry kept glancing over at his new roommate to judge his mood but he couldn't quite place it.

It almost felt normal eating his breakfast with the Blonde, other than the fact that it was Draco bloody Malfoy sitting across from him. If Harry didn't know any better Harry would have thought that Draco was perfectly put together as he always had been. He did know better however, and his anxiousness was tangible, Harry knew that at any moment Malfoy could explode. For Harry it was just a matter of when and how.

Lost in thought, Harry's attention was drawn back to reality by the clearing of Draco's throat accompanied by a questioning raised eyebrow. Harry hadn't realised he was staring at Draco's lips as he continued eating his breakfast. He shook his head and mumbled an apology.

"Quite alright Potter, you know that staring at me eating thing you are doing? It's not creepy and weird at all, by all means carry on" He said with a roll of his eyes.

"Malfoy, about last night" Harry started but Draco cut him off abruptly.

"We just go to the meeting with Dumbledore and see what is happening from there, right?" Draco sighed, he really didn't want to have to get into this conversation right now, or at all really.

"Yeah sure, if that's what you want." Harry replied.

They finished, their breakfast in silence. They walked to Dumbledore's office in silence. They were currently sat in Dumbledore's office in silence.

 _Well this is awkward._ Harry thought.

"So, how are you fairing?" Dumbledore asked.

Once again silence.

 _Oh, for goodness sake Potter say something!_ Draco mentally shouted at Harry.

As if on cue, Harry cleared his throat.

"Yes, well I think given the circumstances, pretty good." Was Harry's fairly diplomatic reply.

"Good that is what I like to hear" Dumbledore beamed.

"You are excused from your lessons today Mr Malfoy, I would like to go over the contract with you in slightly more detail to be sure you are aware of the restrictions the ministry have deemed necessary to impose on you."

Draco merely nodded, secretly relieved that he didn't have to witness the eruption that was sure to occur when Harry's friends found out they would effectively be babysitting their least favourite Slytherin.

"And, Harry" Dumbledore continued "You can attend your first days classes and I should Imagine have a long and particularly exciting conversation with Miss Granger and Mr Weasley on your current arrangements. You had best be on your way Harry, I believe you have transfiguration first."

Harry stood, grabbing his bag and almost went to say goodbye to Malfoy before he realised that would a stupid thing to do.

As soon as Harry was out of the office he heaved a huge sigh of relief. He hadn't realised that the atmosphere around Draco was so very stifling. He needed some time alone, to just be with his friends and to actually enjoy his freedom.

He practically flew down the corridors towards the transfiguration classroom getting there just in time to grab his usual seat next to Ron.

He was just about to sit when he was accosted by a particularly overzealous Hermione who crushed him in a bear hug.

"Hermione!" Harry squeaked.

"Where have you been? What happened at the trial? Why weren't you in Gryffindor tower? What the hell is going on?" Hermione fired all the questions in quick succession before she released Harry allowing him to stumble and take his seat next to Ron.

Ron simply patted him on the back smiling and mumbling a 'welcome back' which were the only words he could get out before Hermione launched into another several questions.

"Erm, what was the first question again?" Harry asked rather timidly.

"Where have you been?" Hermione repeated.

"Well,"

Mcgonagall, swept into the room then effectively rescuing Harry from having to explain something he didn't really think he could just yet.

Transfiguration offered little reprieve however because as soon as they were dismissed Hermione was on him once again.

"I will explain everything I swear." Harry whispered exasperatedly.

"Well, you had better. We have free period now so shall we head up to the common room to discuss?" Hermione demanded.

"I am thinking somewhere more private, this isn't really something I can shout about." Harry said.

Ron patted Harry on the shoulder in sympathy, there was no way he was going to get off lightly in this situation.

The trio ended up in the library, this close to the beginning of term it was completely empty and it gave them just cause to keep their voices low without raising any suspicions as to why.

Harry explained everything, praying that his friends would understand why he had to help the Malfoy's. If they had been in his shoes he was sure they would have done the same.

Once he had finished explaining, he waited for the tirade that would surely come. There wasn't one. Hermione looked thoughtful and when Harry looked to Ron he found that he looked almost amused.

"Harry, as much as I don't really think it is wise that you are kept in such close quarters with such a seemingly volatile ex-death eater, I do believe you when you say that you had very little choice. I mean who could stand by and watch that happen to anybody even if it is Malfoy"

"You really think that? You think I made the right choice?" Harry's eyebrows shot up in surprise.

"Yes mate, besides you get to control the ferret now. You could make him do bloody anything and he would have to do it!" Ron giggled.

"Really? How do you figure?" Harry asked.

"Well all you have to do is think of whatever you fancy him to do like, all of your homework for the next year."

"And when he refuses?"

"Tell him you will just leave him for the Dementors." Ron replied, shrugging.

"Ronald Weasley, Harry would never do that. Which is exactly why Dumbledore didn't allow you to go to the trial I am quite sure" Hermione admonished.

Ron just shrugged again.

"I was only theorising Hermione" Ron replied.

"It's a good point, I could make him do anything." At the sharp look from Hermione Harry quickly added "I'm not going to, but I could." Pointedly looking anywhere but at Hermione.

Hermione just rolled her eyes at the two boys, Ron and Harry were looking at each other conspiratorially.

"Come on" Hermione spoke as she herded them towards the exit. "We have triple potions, one lesson before lunch and two after, and I really need to be in Professor Snape's good books." She finished.

"I wouldn't want to be in any of his books, I don't even like being in the same classroom as him" Ron said.

"I want to do expert level potions and the only person qualified to teach that is Snape, I am going to ask him if he would consider tutoring me which he is unlikely to do even if I show up on time to his lesson. I don't want to give him any excuses to turn my request down." She huffed.

"But why? What use is expert level potions? You can just go and buy your potions like everyone else." Ron said.

"No, the commercially available potions are like dragon piss compared to a home brewed one and I would like to become as accomplished a witch as I can possibly be before the end of my time at Hogwarts. Now come on." Hermione said dragging Harry and Ron by their cloaks to make them move a little quicker.

Harry and Ron spent the hurried journey to the Dungeons discussing all of the awful things Harry 'could' but definitely wouldn't be making Malfoy do using his new power over him. Hermione pointedly ignored the entire conversation but she was quite sure that at some point she had heard the words 'naked' and 'running through the great hall'.

They arrived and sat with only moments to spare before Snape made an appearance.

The Potions lesson was tedious for both Harry and Ron and they couldn't wait to get out and go to lunch. They were both stood outside the potions classroom waiting for Hermione to finish asking Professor Snape if he would tutor her.

"Do you think he will agree to it?" Ron asked.

Just as soon as he had finished his question Hermione appeared, she stormed past the two of them on her way to the great hall.

Harry and Ron looked at each other knowing only too well that could only mean that Snape had declined her.

"You go after her, I want a chat with Snape" Harry said to Ron.

Ron simply nodded, shouting to Hermione for her to wait.

Harry turned back to the potions classroom and knocked. There was no reply or invitation for him to enter but he didn't care, he simply pushed open the door and was met with a stern gaze from his Professor.

"You told her no, didn't you?" Harry asked.

Snape nodded but did not answer him looking back down at the papers on the desk he was sat behind.

"Well, I suggest you tell her yes." Harry didn't know where the words had come from surely not his mouth and surely not directed at Professor Snape of all people.

Judging by the look on Snape's face that is exactly what happened, Harry briefly wondered if he was about to be expelled and cringed a little.

"Excuse me? And why would I do that Potter?" Snape replied a little too coolly. He knew he was treading on dangerous ground at this point.

"Because, she really wanted this and you have no good reason to turn her down." He said.

"I turned her down because I do not have the time, between taking care of the Malfoy's and teaching my normal classes I am stretched pretty thin as it is."

Harry opened his mouth, and then closed it again.

"Okay" he finally spoke "that is a fairly good reason actually." Harry was grasping for anything he could use to persuade the Professor to change his mind. Then it occurred to him.

"You owe me" He stated, happily.

"Excuse me?" Snape said once more.

"You owe me! I saved the Malfoy's, so you owe me. Give the lessons to Hermione, and I will consider us even."

Snape looked pensive, he was weighing up the pros and cons of having to teach that insufferable no-it-all Granger one on one, with the idea that he would no longer owe a debt to Harry.

"Fine, I will teach her. Only two lessons a week, she will have to an awful lot of self-study and the lessons will have to be in the evenings. Tuesdays and Thursdays."

Harry nodded to Snape.

"Thank you, Professor." Harry said before turning on his heel and heading straight for the great hall for his lunch and to tell Hermione the good news.

He left the potions master grumbling to himself about silly little Gryffindor's wasting well earned favours.

Harry sat down across from his two best friends.

"Well, Hermione. Your expert level potions lessons start Tuesday, so tomorrow evening, you're welcome" Harry beamed over at her.

"Are you serious?" She asked, her eyes sparkling.

"Deadly serious, though Snape wasn't too happy about it I wouldn't be too excited he might be even more miserable about this arrangement than he has about anything else, ever." Harry said.

Hermione nodded.

"Well done mate, bloody hell it looks like you've got all the ex-death eaters wrapped around your little finger." Ron grinned.

That was as much conversation they managed to get out. It was nearing the end of the lunch hour and having been distracted from finishing his breakfast that morning he was ravenous.

It was soon time to head back to finish the school day and their remaining potions lessons. Quite frankly it was torture. Snape was in a foul mood especially with Harry and spent most of the lesson berating him on every single mistake he made in retribution for his earlier behaviour.

As soon as their lessons were finished Harry and Ron shot out of the potions classroom door. Thankful to get away from the miserable Professor.

"Miss Granger" Snape drawled "A word if you please?"

Hermione was nervous, stood in the classroom waiting for the rest of the class to leave. She was silently praying that he hadn't changed his mind. When the last of her classmates left and the door was closed behind them Snape spoke.

"As I am sure that Mr Potter has already informed you, I have reluctantly agreed to tutor you on the expert level potions grade. Please don't misunderstand me when I say that if I deem you to be putting too little effort in I will rescind my offer and the lesson will cease is that clear?"

"Yes Professor" Hermione replied meekly.

"We will meet here tomorrow evening for your first lesson at precisely half past seven, you are one minute late and I will be forced to cancel our meeting and any further meetings.

"Yes Professor" was all Hermione seemed capable of saying.

He gave her an exasperated look and dismissed her with curt nod, turning his back on her and returning to sit behind his desk.

As Hermione reached the door to the Potions classroom, she turned to look over her shoulder.

"Thank you, professor, I promise you won't regret it"

Snape curled his lip and said " I am quite sure I will, do not be late"

Hermione nodded, a determined look on her face. _I'll show you._ She thought, but didn't have the nerve to say as she exited the room to be met by Harry on Ron who were back to the conversation of how they could but definitely wouldn't use Harry's new-found power over Draco.

The trio started walking.

They found themselves standing outside the portrait of the fat lady when Harry realised this was not where he was supposed to be.

"Shit, I am supposed to be keeping an eye on Malfoy back in our rooms." Harry said.

"Oh, can't you just stay for a quick game of wizard's chess?" Ron Begged.

"I bloody wish I could, have to get back to my Malfoy Sitting though."

Ron sighed and nodded, Hermione gave Harry a huge hug.

"Thanks Harry, for everything with Snape. I'm very proud of you for everything you are doing with Malfoy." Hermoine said.

"Yes mate, we both are" Added Ron.

Harry just blushed and left his friends to continue his way up the stairs to the seventh floor.

When he reached the room of requirement he paused. Nervous of the mood of the Slytherin he would surely find in there. To his amazement, Draco wasn't in the common room, nor was he in the bathroom. He wasn't going to risk the wrath of Malfoy by disturbing him if he was sleeping. So, Harry ran himself a luxurious bath filling the room with the scent of lavender and moon lily and making sure he had as many bubbles as possible.

Stripping down Harry sank himself into the bath closing his eyes and revelling in some much-deserved alone time and relaxation.

It was short lived, Harry was startled out of his reverie by the bathroom door opening and Draco Malfoy sweeping into the room.

Harry turned to look over his shoulder at him. He was disappointed to see the clear evidence of tears on Malfoy's face.

"I thought you had left me." Malfoy said.

Harry immediately frowned, confused.

"I just went to classes, you have been with Dumbledore haven't you?" Harry asked.

"Yes, but I thought you would be back straight after your classes and you weren't, I thought you had changed your mind and you were going to give me back to the ministry." Malfoy whimpered.

Harry was at a loss for words once again, that seemed to be the case during every conversation he had with Malfoy now.

"You aren't going to, are you?" Malfoy sounded as though he was begging.

Harry was Startled, Malfoys emotions were all over the damn place and Harry couldn't keep up. One moment he was a shivering, gibbering wreck and the next he was cool as a cucumber with random episodes of rage thrown in for good measure.

"No, that I can promise you. I am not going to give up on you. You are seriously going to have to chill out though Malfoy you are making me dizzy with your mood swings."

Malfoy straightened his back and took in a sharp breath through his nose, once again appearing to be every bit the poised aristocratic prat he always had been. What he did next was baffling, he began to remove his robes.

"Erm, Malfoy. What are you doing?" Harry practically squeaked.

"You offered to help me with my healing treatment." Was all he said before Harry was presented with a naked Draco Malfoy who was currently entering his bath at the other end of the massive tub.

 _Not quite so relaxing now._ Harry thought.

"I did Malfoy, I didn't mean in the bath... naked... together"

Draco didn't respond, he just submerged himself under the water a good distance away from Harry.

They stared at each other for a while. Draco's expression one of indifference as he began to clean himself in the warm water. Harry looked like he had just seen a ghost, which to be fair might have been preferable to his current situation.

Harry was pressing back into the side of the tub as much as possible to be as far away from Malfoy as he could, even though there was easily six feet between the two boys.

Draco finished washing himself, stood and walked over to Harry the water happily lapping at his navel and covering him from the waist down much to Harry's relief.

Harry looked up at Draco like a deer in headlights and waited for whatever Draco was going to do next. Draco reached past him, bringing their faces cheek to cheek without them touching and Harry held his breath. He had never been this close to another boy when he was fully clothed never mind completely naked in a bubble filled bath.

Draco moved back and handed the phial that Pomfrey had given to him yesterday filled with Draco's ointment and offered it to Harry.

Harry took it with the smallest of movements and continued to stare at Draco still looking lost awaiting his directions.

Draco hesitated, then turned his back to Harry, presenting him with the area he couldn't reach himself.

"I can't reach." Draco offered meekly and he waited for Harry to spread the salve on his 'sore bits'.

Harry snapped out of his shocked state and looked between his hand where the phial was held and Draco's back.

He stood up, to stand behind him and looked over the abused skin in front of him.

The water, created a wave which dipped low on Malfoy's behind revealing a little more skin than Harry was comfortable with. Though he couldn't help but find himself staring down.

Malfoy shivered as his water warmed torso began to cool outside of the bath. He looked over his shoulder at Harry almost shyly and then moved to take a step away from him, obviously coming to the conclusion that Harry wasn't going to help him.

"Forget it, I will figure out a way to do it myself." Draco said clearly put out.

"Oh, shut up Malfoy."

Harry's hand came to rest on Malfoys shoulder stilling him. He released his hold on Draco opened the phial, pouring a little of the concoction onto his palm, closing the phial and replacing it on the side of the bath. He let out a little sigh, rubbing his hands together to warm the mixture and then readied himself and closed the small gap between them.

When Harry's hand moved across the top of Malfoys back, a little gasp escaped Draco's mouth. The salve was soothing to say the least and was sending him a little delirious as the sting was taken out of the coarse lash mark just below his shoulders.

Harry marvelled at how soft Malfoys skin felt. He shouldn't have been all that surprised, he was a young eighteen-year-old boy, but he had assumed it would be otherwise. They continued in silence, Harry was careful to be as gentle as possible and Draco was careful no more sounds could slip out of his mouth at the pleasure the ointment was bringing him. Draco desperately needed the pain in his back to stop and if this was the only way to do that then so be it.

It was completely by accident the events that followed, Harry was down to the last angry red lash mark on the very bottom of Draco's back. He was concentrating on being as gentle as possible and concentrating even more on not staring at Draco's firm pale backside half hidden under the water of the bath. What he hadn't realised was how close his mouth had become to the back of Draco's neck. Draco lost in the soothing pleasure of the ointment and Harry's breath tickling the hairs on the back of his neck he arched his back, inadvertently pushing his rear into Harry's crotch.

Draco's eyes flew open and a blush bloomed on his cheeks fiercely. Harry grabbed Draco's hips moving him forward and keeping them apart.

"I'm sorry" Draco whispered through the awkwardness.

"S'ok" harry huskily, his voice breaking. "Are we done?" Harry asked, trying to make sure he didn't set Draco off on one of his mad tirades once again.

"Yes, thank you" He replied but he didn't turn around.

Harry let go of Draco's hips he hadn't even realised he was still holding and wordlessly gathered his clothes leaving the bathroom as quickly as possible.

Harry walked straight past the dinner which the house elves must have left out for the two of them and walked straight into his room. He wished he could have gone down to dinner with Hermione and Ron but in every sense, he was utterly exhausted he crawled into bed and fell asleep with thoughts of Draco Malfoy's abused body haunting him.

Draco took himself to bed also, eating nothing. The feel of the salve was amazing and he was silently angry with himself for not using it the previous night. He finished spreading it over the parts of his body that he could reach. It didn't seem to have quite the same effect on him as his own hands smoothed it over his injuries.

 _Must have been the bath making it feel different._ He thought to himself, not entirely convincing himself. Eventually Draco managed to drift off, plagued with thoughts of Harry's hands smoothing over his skin.


	5. Chapter 5

Harry was woken once again by the screams of one Draco Malfoy. This time, he most definitely was not going to go in there.

Another scream, punctuated the silence.

Harry crossed his arms in defiance.

 _Nope, scream all you want Malfoy I am not going to be the one running to your rescue. Not this time, you miserable, pointy git._

There was nothing then, no sounds for a long while. Hoping that Malfoy had managed to wake himself from whatever nightmare he was experiencing, Harry snuggled further down under his covers and was just drifting off when a muffled yell jerked him awake once again.

Huffing, Harry flung the covers from himself and heaved himself out of bed in one swift movement. He moved barefoot through his bedroom swinging the door open grumpily, only to be presented with a topless and panic-stricken Draco Malfoy, his hand raised as if he was just about to knock on Harry's door.

Harrys eyes begged to wander down Draco's torso, purely to access the bruises and marks marring his skin of course, but he forced himself to focus on Draco's face.

"Malfoy?" Harry said, surprise evident on his face, his voice wavering. Harry realised in his anger he had forgotten to grab his wand leaving him defenceless, his eyes flicked to his nightstand wondering if he should make a move to retrieve it.

"I need to speak to Dumbledore" the blonde replied.

"Okay" Harry said, once more unsure what to say.

He continued defensively "I heard you, the screaming, but I thought you had fallen back to sleep so I left you to it."

Draco's expression was unreadable but he moved aside so Harry could move into the common room following Harry closely behind.

"Dumbledore will be asleep now, can it wait until morning?" Harry asked as he sat down heavily on the sofa in front of the still burning fire, enjoying the way it warmed his skin.

"No, I need to talk to him now. Dumbledore or Severus, I don't really care which, I just need to talk to someone. Now."

Draco was becoming agitated and Harry was becoming wary, fearing that he would soon be on the receiving end of one of Draco's outbursts.

"Ok, calm down. What's this all about?" Harry asked.

"My parents, my mother. She was screaming, what are they doing to her in that little room? I need to know that they are alright, that she is alright. Please Potter" Malfoy begged as he began pacing.

"It was just a dream, a bad one admittedly, but just a dream. Your parents are safe and sound at your Manor with Snape. He is staying there every night, keeping them safe and helping them to rehabilitate remember?" Harry said as soothingly as he could.

"But I can still hear her, she was shouting my name. She needs me Potter and I can't get to her." Draco's eyes were wet, though no tears had fallen as yet. It was making Harry extremely uncomfortable.

Draco's pacing quickened and he was getting more and more worked up, wringing his hands. Harry didn't know what to do for the best but acting on instinct he moved to comfort the panic-stricken blonde.

Harry walked around to face Malfoy and took his hands stilling them. Draco flinched as though he had forgotten Harry was even there until he felt his touch. When their eyes met Draco snatched his hands away as if scolded, turning his back to Harry.

"I need to hear her voice Potter, I need to hear her say she is ok"

Harry sighed loudly, moving back to sit on the sofa and wiped his hands down his face in frustration.

"I'm sorry I keep waking you" Malfoy said quietly but determinedly.

Harry was a little taken aback by the apology, it was uncharacteristic for Malfoy to show remorse for anything he had ever done, but it made a nice change of pace.

"It really isn't a problem, I have never slept particularly well anyway so why change a habit of a lifetime, right?" He tried a smile and was rewarded with a small smile back but Draco quickly schooled his features back into the calm emotionless mask Harry was more accustomed to.

"If you don't mind me asking, what do you see in the nightmares?"

Malfoy flinched and Harry felt immediately guilty for poking his nose into Malfoy's privacy.

"Sorry, forget I said anything, it's really none of my business"

"No, it isn't" was Draco's only response.

"Okay, one step at a time right?" Harry asked.

"Right" Draco nodded looking at the floor.

"I swear to you in a few hours we will go straight to Dumbledore, first thing I promise. He will tell you that everything with your parents is just fine but we both need to get some rest okay?" Harry tried.

"Yeah, okay." Malfoy sighed making a move towards his bedroom door.

"Okay. Goodnight Malfoy" Harry said as he entered his room.

"Goodnight" was the soft reply from across the room.

All was quiet for the rest of the night.

 **Next Morning.**

"I can assure you Mister Malfoy, your parents are absolutely fine." Dumbledore said to Harry and Draco.

Harry wasn't best pleased at having been woken up at 6.30 am but he had promised Draco that they would see the headmaster first thing so he couldn't really complain too much.

Harry let out a huge yawn and stretched in the chair next to Draco in Dumbledore's office, trying very hard not to say 'I told you so.'

"I trust that you two are settling in as well as can be expected then?" Dumbledore asked, there was a knowing glint in his eye when he said it and Harry once again found himself wondering what it was that Dumbledore knew but wasn't revealing.

"I can organise a fire call with your parents for this evening if you like Master Malfoy?"

"Yes!" There was no hesitation before Malfoy practically yelled his reply at their headteacher, causing Harry to flinch at the outburst.

Draco's cheeks bloomed with a deep blush and he mumbled his reply again more reservedly.

"I will organise that for you then" Dumbledore replied amusedly, smiling warmly at Malfoy. "Do you feel comfortable enough to join Harry in your classes? Or would you like to remain in your rooms?" He asked.

Draco frowned, he shook his head looking pointedly at the floor and refusing to reach either Harry or Dumbledore's gaze.

Dumbledore nodded, "I will allow you the rest of this week to gain your composure but any longer than that and I will be forced to insist that you re-join your classmates for fear that you will fall too far behind in your studies."

Draco let out a sigh of relief and nodded still refusing to raise his eyes to either of the two people in the office with him.

"Harry, please escort Master Malfoy back to your rooms." Dumbledore said with a nod, and a wave of his hand.

Draco had disappeared immediately into his bedroom without a word to his new roommate, Harry assumed it was to go straight back to bed. Harry debated whether he would sneak back into bed for half an hour before heading down for breakfast but decided against it. The likelihood would be that he would end up being late if he did. Grabbing his supplies for the days lessons he headed for the Gryffindor common room.

When he arrived he was once again squashed into a hug by Hermione, as if she hadn't seen him for years. Ron too looked relieved to see him.

"I literally saw you yesterday afternoon what's with the grand reunion?" Harry said a happy smile on his face.

"We didn't like the idea of you being alone with the ferret, could have killed you in your sleep or anything you know!"

"Oh for goodness sake Ronald, that wasn't it at all! It's just so strange not having you here in Gryffindor tower. It feels empty without you." Hermione corrected with a stern look at Ron.

"I am fine Ron, I am more concerned with Malfoy hurting himself than hurting me to be honest" Harry said.

"Did you just say that you were concerned about Malfoy?" Ron laughed.

"Shut it Ron" Harry half-heartedly defended.

"Come on let's get down to breakfast" Hermione said, dragging Harry out by the arm, Ron following closely behind.

They were nearing the end of a comfortably silent breakfast when Ron dropped his fork, onto his plate and exclaimed loudly.

"What the hell am I going to do tonight?"

Harry and Hermione just turned to face each other, looking slightly perplexed and then returned their gazes to Ron.

"Erm... what?" Harry asked.

"Well you," he said pointing to Harry "are going to run straight off to make sure your pet Ferret hasn't spontaneously combusted as soon as classes are done. And you," He said moving to point at Hermione "are going to suffer the worst torture imaginable by spending your evening with Snape. So, what the hell am I going to do?"

Harry and Hermione once again looked at each other, both rolling their eyes.

"You will think of something I am sure." Harry said, before adding "and, Malfoy is not my pet!"

Hermione took a little time answering before her eyes lit up.

"You could make a start on the transfiguration homework"

"Only you could think that homework is an entertaining way to spend an evening Hermione" Ron snorted.

Hermione frowned but didn't respond, the silence descended again as the trio finished off their breakfast.

That little comment from Ron was a dig at her she knew it, only meant in a friendly way, but a dig none the less. It was now common knowledge that the romance that had always seemed inevitable between herself and Ron had fizzled out some time after the war had ended and before they had come back for the new school year. It would appear that they had both decided amicably that as much as they loved each other fiercely, they were just ill suited to being a couple.

Their romantic relationship started off full of passion, but as soon as the honey moon period ended it felt as though they had slipped back into being best friends again. They kissed and it felt awkward, they would hold hands and it would become irritating. Eventually they just decided that it would be best if they stayed friends, at that point they started to spend less time together. Instead of everyday they started meeting up two or three times a week and everything had gone back to normal by the time they had returned to Hogwarts.

Hermione's mind started to wander, there was an excitement in the pit of her stomach at the thought of being taught privately by one of the most experienced and accomplished potions masters of their time. Maybe she could actually impress him?

Hermione had spent an awful lot of the extra time she had found herself with, practising her potions techniques. Some had ended in complete disaster, but hopefully by the end of these lessons with Snape she would have perfected her skills.

The days classes passed with little occurring of any note. Soon enough Harry was had retired to check on Malfoy and Ron had wandered off after dinner in search of a flying partner with whom he could practise his quidditch.

Hermione found herself sat alone in the great hall, with twenty minutes before her lesson with Snape. Her mind wandered as she made her way down to her evening rendezvous with the head of Slytherin house, she found herself wondering what her first lesson would bring her, and before she could muse anymore she was standing before the imposing door behind which her potions master was waiting.

As she raised her hand to knock, a voice startled her.

"Come in Granger" Hermione frowned, how did he even know she was there? she thought to herself, he could be so creepy sometimes.

She opened the door, entering silently and was greeted with Snape standing at the far side of the classroom, a cauldron was set up with a number of ingredients laid out on the desk, every one of which Hermione could name. It was a dreamless sleep draught he was going to get her to make, she knew it without being told and this deduction emboldened her. There was no way she would fail this, she was too damn smart.

"Miss granger, I would like you to complete the potion I have set out for you. If you have to ask what it is that I want you to create then I suggest you turn yourself around and leave. You have one and a half hours. Begin."

"Yes, Professor." Hermione said, with more confidence than she really felt.

Placing down her bag by the desk, she set to work creating the potion as quickly and precisely as she could.

Snape paid little attention to her, which in a normal class would have been welcome. For some reason though it was annoying her that she wasn't at least getting some sort of attention form the man who was, after all, supposed to be teaching her not just supervising her. Really, she could have attempted this alone and gotten the same results and she _had_ several times during the holidays. Hermione huffed loudly in an attempt draw Snape's attention away from, was that a newspaper? At that she huffed again and continued her work.

"Is there a problem Miss Granger?" Snape's voice slithered from where he was sat at his desk and shot a chill straight down Hermione's spine.

She met his eyes.

"No Sir."

"Come along girl, you are huffing like a unicorn in heat over there, spit it out" Snape stated none too kindly.

Hermione blushed at the reference.

"Well sir" another huff "it has not escaped my notice that I am currently working completely alone. I thought you were here to help me achieve my potions grade, not sit there and pretend that I don't exist"

Snape's lip curled and he moved over to her, his robes billowing in that way that only Snape seemed to manage, coming to a halt at the opposite side of her desk.

"Is this better?" He said leaning close to her potion, overdramatically.

"Or perhaps..." He moved to stand behind her, leaning down so that his cheek was mere millimetres away from her own.

"Is this better Granger?" His breath tickled Hermione's cheek and her own breath caught in her throat. She had never been this close to him before and she could smell the professor's scent, she couldn't quite place what the smell was but it was intoxicating and it was doing some rather silly things deep in her belly.

"Really granger, I didn't realise you were such an attention seeker. Been spending too much time with Potter I would imagine" he said snidely before stepping back and moving back across the classroom to his desk.

Hermione for reasons as yet unknown to her missed the closeness of him and she quickly retorted.

"If you must know, I simply would have liked some encouragement. Perhaps a cursory check to see if I was performing the task to your satisfaction."

"You are, there is no need to disturb you when you are, annoyingly, doing very well."

"Oh" was all she could muster.

"Now finish the draught, so that we can conclude, I am a very busy man as you well know." He said retaking his seat.

Hermione disappointed somewhat when Snape did not return to her, went back to work. Another half an hour passed and she managed to complete her task with ten minutes to spare, at which point Snape checked the finished product.

"As much as it pains me to admit, this draught is exemplary. I would be hard pushed to create one better myself." Snape spoke, whilst bottling the draught.

Hermione preened at his words, feeling the warm sense of satisfaction, she had so been craving.

"Well done Granger, now that I know that you can perform to this standard, the lessons will become far more difficult from here on out."

"So, you will continue teaching me then professor?"

"Yes as long as you learn to watch your mouth and not question my teaching techniques, understood?" Snape snapped.

"Yes professor" Hermione said with a blush, she stood waiting for more instructions.

"That will be all Granger" Snape said dismissively.

Hermione gathered her belongings and reached for the door to leave when she was struck with an odd thought and before she could stop herself the words were out of her mouth.

"Professor, pardon me for asking, but what scent do you use?"

Snape did not reply, he just looked at Hermione strangely and then frowned.

"It's just that you smell really rather delicious and it's not something I remember having smelled before."

Snape's eyebrows shot up in a rare look of surprise and Hermione couldn't really tell in the gloom of the dungeon but was he blushing?

Snape cleared his throat and busied himself rearranging the papers on his desk.

"If you must know Miss Granger, it is a scent I create myself which is why you are unfamiliar with it."

"Oh, I see, I didn't have you pegged as the type to create scents sir?"

"Not scents Granger, just this one. Simply because I refuse to pay the extortionate prices one has to pay from the apothecary simply to smell like everyone else."

"Well, I really like it professor. See you at our next lesson." Hermione closed the door quickly wondering what the hell had just happened and stormed her way as fast as she could up to Gryffindor tower.

Harry was alone in the common room he shared with Malfoy. He was attempting and failing at writing his transfiguration essay. He was staring at his mostly blank parchment as if he could will the essay to just appear on its own. He was concentrating so hard that when Draco spoke, he knocked over his ink well and effectively ruined the three sentences he had managed to conjure.

"Shit" Harry exclaimed scrambling to stop the ink from progressing any further across the coffee tabke.

Malfoy just looked at him slightly amused, a smirk gracing his lips and one eyebrow raised.

"A bit jumpy there Potter? You know it's times like this that make me wonder how you get through the day without mortally wounding yourself."

"Very funny Malfoy, I do just fine when slimy gits like you aren't sneaking up on me" He replied, bristling slightly.

"Lighten up Potter I was only messing around" Malfoy sighed, still smirking and laying himself down on the sofa across from Harry.

It was only then that Harry realised that Draco was actually in a good mood.

"You have spoken to your mother, haven't you?" Harry asked.

"Yes, she and father are doing fine. Mother is doing better than father without the use magic. The house elves are doing mostly everything for them. They are getting really rather bored, but other than that they are good." Malfoy said, placing his right arm over his eyes as he snuggled down further onto the sofa.

"Good, that's … erm... good." Harry said clearing up the last of the mess he had created and taking out a new piece of parchment.

"Whats the Essay?" Malfoy asked sounding uninterested.

"Transfiguration, we have to write twelve inches on the everyday uses of transfiguration."

"Easy, I could write that in my sleep" Malfoy replied.

Harry just grumbled, it had taken him three quarters of an hour to write the three sentences he had managed and now he was back to square one. If he carried on like this then he might be finished by next year. He scowled at Draco knowing the other boy wouldn't see. That was when Harry noticed Malfoys shirt had risen up and was exposing one very neatly defined hip bone. There was a light dusting of blonde hair travelling down from Draco's navel, disappearing into the low-slung trousers he was wearing.

Flashes of the night when Draco bared all to Harry were drawn to the forefront of Harry's mind and a hot flush swept down his body ending in his groin.

"Like what you see Potter?" Draco tried to sound confident, pulling down his shirt to cover his skin.

Harry quickly paid all of his attention to his parchment and made no attempt to answer the question. He wasn't even sure he knew the answer himself.

Breaking the awkward tension Draco sat up and grabbed Harrys parchment and quill and wrote the opening paragraph to Harry's essay outlining exactly the information Harry would need to include. After which he made to enter his room.

"Er thanks?" Harry responded, appreciating the neat script which now graced his parchment.

"I will need your help later, if you could?" Draco murmured.

"Sure, what with?"

"My ointment, for my back. If you don't mind."

Harry swallowed loudly, nodding stiffly. At that Draco disappeared into his room.

The warmth was back flooding down his body and his cock gave a twitch of recognition at the thought of being able to spread his hands over Draco's pale naked body once again.

Harry looked down frowning at his crotch.

"What is wrong with you, it's Draco bloody Malfoy" he snarled under his breath.

His cock twitched again.

"Traitor" He whispered and pushing all thoughts of Draco Malfoy out of his head for as long as he could he continued his essay.


	6. Chapter 6

**Authors Notes:**

 **In all honesty, this should have been at the end of the last chapter, but I really struggled to write the last one. Still not entirely happy with it, but here it is regardless.**

 **Thank you to all the Favorites and Reviews, you guys are awesome, means a lot when you spare the time to respond to my work. So, thanks again and enjoy this little addition.**

 **More Snape/Hermione on it's way next chapter.**

 **Without further ado...**

Hermione was mortified.

"Crookshanks, why did I have to open my mouth. I could have just left the room. But no, I had to open my stupid mouth and tell my professor. No, wait not just my professor but professor Snape of all people! That he smelled, delicious. What in god's name was I thinking, he is going to think I am absolutely insane."

Hermione stared pointedly at her cat, as if expecting an answer.

'Prrrowp' Crookshanks offered and with a soothing nudge to Hermione's arm, he jumped down from the desk on which she had been stood and strolled off in search of mice.

Hermione flopped down on her bed. Maybe it wasn't so bad, really all she did was complement him besides which it's not like it wasn't true he really did smell absolutely delicious. She frowned and huffed, suddenly remembering Snape's comment about the unicorn she re-tried her Huff trying her best to sound as unlike a horny mythical beast as she could and curled up on her side to see if she could chase away her mortification with some sleep. What she wouldn't give for some of that dreamless sleep draught right about now.

Harry was finishing his essay when Malfoy finally re-emerged from his bedroom. He had all of his grooming products, a vast collection which looked more like Malfoy was about to create a complicated potion rather than bathe. Without a look or a word to Harry, Malfoy disappeared into the bathroom.

Harry's eyes followed him through the room, they wandered to the gentle and almost feminine way in which Malfoy's hips switched from side to side. He shook his head and carefully dried the still went ink on his parchment before rolling up the scroll and stowing it away in his bag ready to be handed in.

Harry's mind drifted serenely for a long time the minutes passed and he found himself thinking of very little, just enjoying the silence in the warm room when his thoughts were interrupted by the bathroom door opening. Before the war had ended he rarely found the time to be able to just sit and waste his time away peacefully.

Harry's peace was broken rather abruptly as Malfoy re-emerged wearing a warm looking black dressing gown, he turned towards Harry looking at the floor and fiddling with the belt tied tight around waist.

"Potter?" He said quietly.

"Malfoy?"

"I could do with your help now if you don't mind? For my back?" Malfoy asked clearing his throat.

Harry swallowed, his eyes were wide as he nodded his head daring not to make any noise.

Malfoy just nodded back, turning on his heel and heading into his bedroom.

Harry didn't move for several seconds. _Come on Harry, where is that Gryffindor spirit._

Nodding his head, he stood and crossed the room entering Malfoy's room with all the confidence he could muster.

Malfoy was stood by his bed with his back to Harry, as Harry entered closing the door behind him, he gave Harry a nervous look over his shoulder.

"Lets get this done with then Potter" taking a deep breath in, Draco undid the tie on his robe and let it slide off his shoulders to the floor.

Harry thanked his lucky stars that Malfoy had the good sense to put his boxers on.

He then stepped forward, accepting the vial Draco was holding out to him over his shoulder. Emptying some out onto his hands he placed the vial down on Malfoys bedside table, he let out a soft sigh and moved to smooth his hands over Malfoy's shoulder blades.

Draco shivered at the touch and his head dropped forward.

"Cold Malfoy?" Harry asked.

"Mmmm" was all the reply Draco gave and the sound went straight to Harry's traitorous cock. Harry swallowed again trying desperately to think of anything to stop the blood from rushing south. Harry's hands had stilled on Draco's shoulders.

"Is there something wrong, Potter?" Malfoy asked looking over his shoulder.

"No not at all. Sorry!" Harry practically shouted, wincing at his own awkwardness.

Harry willed his hands to keep moving, he swept them lower past Draco's shoulder blades, down past the centre of his back and to the very top of Draco's boxers. Harry's hands lingered there smoothing the ointment very thoroughly.

Harry literally couldn't stop staring at Malfoys pert arse, his boxers were skin tight and left very little to the imagination, Harry licked his lips and shocked himself by wondering whether it would be worth getting a smack in the face for slipping his hand down just a little further then entirely necessary.

When Harry looked up, Malfoy was looking over his shoulder his eyes narrowed with suspicion.

"You know potter." Malfoy said as he turned to face Harry.

"I haven't put the rest of my ointment on, you could help with the rest if you wouldn't mind?"

Harry's eyes met Draco's and without even thinking he whispered "Yes." That earned him a questioning brow from Malfoy but he continued to stand still waiting for Harry to fetch more ointment and continue his exploration of Malfoys pale skin.

Once again Harry started at Draco's shoulders. He was slightly more guarded this time around, after all Draco was watching his every move, it wouldn't do drool over him openly.

Harry's hands moved down past Draco's cool, hardened nipples a soft gasp was dragged from the blonde boy whose eyes had closed. Malfoy was biting his lip and Harry was starting to seriously rethink his sexuality. Draco was sexy, there was no way Harry could get away from that fact, Harry was finding himself more and more attracted to him. He couldn't deny even to himself that he was enjoying this, but could it just have been a need to make Draco feel better? Was it his possessive protectiveness that was making his want to pull Malfoy over and press his lips against his milky skin. Was it that Malfoy was so bloody girly? Perhaps his body had simply reacted to the feminine qualities that Malfoy had? No, he definitely couldn't chalk it up to that, he might have girly qualities but Malfoy was definitely all male Harry resisted glancing down at the front of those sinfully tight boxers.

Harrys hands continued to explore, moving over his thin ribs and coming to rest on Malfoy's hips.

"My legs harry if you would?" Draco asked, his voice had turned silky smooth and Harrys thanked Merlin that his robes and trousers were loose enough to hide the burgeoning erection he was currently sporting.

Harry dropped to his knees in front of Draco in response, he dared not look up to meet his eyes

Harry couldn't help but feel as though this was wrong, but his entire body was ignoring that feeling like one tries to ignore a delicious cake when on a diet.

After grabbing more ointment, Harry started running his hands up Draco's right leg. Smoothing up his calf, making sure that all of the faded marks were properly covered. As he reached Draco's mid-thigh Harry was confronted with a tented pair of boxers level with his face. Draco was hard and impressively large Harry found himself thinking. Harry took in a lung full of Malfoy's perfumed body, there was a musky undertone that caused his eyes to flutter closed for a moment in pleasure.

Draco's breath caught in his throat as Harry's breath ghosted over the wet circle rapidly forming on his boxers and he looked as though he was contemplating running out of the room, so Harry being the steadfast Gryffindor that he is moved to repeat the previous ministrations on the other leg ignoring the erection that was so close to brushing his cheek. Once he was finished he regretfully moved to stand, Draco offered his hand to help him up and Harry silently took it.

Once Harry was standing, neither boy made any move to let go of the others hand so they stayed there just so, each searching the others face for any sign that they were pushing too far.

"So?" Draco finally spoke. "How does it look?"

Harry swallowed, a dreamy look on his face and replied.

"Pretty"

Another questioning eyebrow, "My bruises look pretty?" Draco said with amusement in his voice.

Harry dropped Malfoy's hand at that. Fixing him with a grumpy stare.

"Good, I meant pretty good." Harry looked conflicted then and was about to turn to leave when Draco took his hand back into his closing his slender elegant fingers around Harry's and giving a light squeeze.

"It's okay you know. If you think it's pretty, or rather if you think _I_ am pretty?" It was a question, and Harry was shocked by Malfoy's sudden bravery.

Their eyes connected and Malfoy lost his nerve, taking his gaze down to their joined hands a small smile gracing one corner of his mouth.

Harry couldn't speak, his mind was reeling. Did he think Malfoy was pretty? That begged the question, should he think Malfoy was pretty? After everything that had happened in the past between them? The hatred, the deceit and vicious words and spells that had been exchanged?

Malfoy took Harry's hesitance as a no, the nervous smile fell from his face and he removed his hand turning around to face his bed. Without turning to look at the other boy he simply said.

"You have my gratitude for your assistance, I don't think I will be needing it again." His cold stern voice had returned and his body had gone rigid.

Harry didn't move, his emotions were flying everywhere but Draco had basically just shut him down, Harry knew there wouldn't be another opportunity like this if he left the room, so he did what any good Gryffindor would do and he showed Malfoy he wasn't afraid of this new found whatever it was. Stepping forward and pressing his clothed chest to Draco's naked back he moved his hands back to Draco's hips squeezing lightly, it was fast becoming his hands favorite place to hang out.

Draco flinched but immediately relaxed pressing back into Harry, there was no doubt in Harry's mind that Draco could feel his still hard cock pressing against that delectable backside. Draco turned to look over his shoulder at him, smirking a little.

"I see." Malfoy said.

Neither of them moved for a long time, they just enjoyed the feeling of each other being so close. Harry acting more on instinct now, moved his face to align with Draco's and pressed forward to offer a chaste kiss. No sooner had he done so Malfoy turned back around and deepened the kiss, bringing his arms up gently to wrap them around Harry's neck. They kissed for what felt like hours, but was probably mere minutes and when they broke apart they were both panting, eyes wide.

"Wow, that was - " harry panted.

"Yeah, it was" Draco finished.

"I think I should - "

"Yeah, maybe you should" Draco replied, trying not to look or sound too disappointed.

Harry moved forward for another kiss, pulling back and smiling at the blonde boy.

Draco smiled back and let out a breathy laugh.

Still smiling, Harry turned and opened the door.

"Goodnight Draco." He said.

"Godnight Harry, sweet dreams" It sounded weird coming from Malfoy but Harry liked it anyway.

"You too" he replied.

Just before the door closed behind him Harry heard Malfoy.

"Oh, I am sure they will be"

Harry smiled even wider and headed to his bedroom, throwing himself down onto his bed, curling up once again thinking of nothing but Draco Malfoy.


	7. Chapter 7

**Thanks once again for all of the lovely reviews and all of the favorites. Hope you enjoy the next chapter.**

Hermione woke from a fitful sleep at around three in the morning, she had inevitably dreamt of several possible scenarios which could play out upon her next visit to Snape.

The first was that he had simply refused to continue her lessons and effectively failed her on the spot for inappropriate conduct, Hermione shuddered at the thought. The second scene involved him actually being edible, Snape had transfigured himself into an apple which Hermione had proceeded to eat with gusto. As strange as they were they didn't horrify Hermione as much as the final musings of her unconscious mind.

In the dream, Hermione had begun the lesson in exactly the same way as before this time however, instead of ignoring her, Snape was standing by her desk watching her every move intently. She could smell that 'delicious' scent permeate the air around her.

"Every time you make a mistake Granger, you will be punished."

Hermione swallowed loudly, concentrating as hard as she could, when suddenly Snape purposefully pushed the table causing her precise stirring to falter.

"Oh dear Miss Granger, you seem to have made a mistake" Snape said cruelly.

Hermione was incensed!

"That was your fault, if you hadn't knocked the table, I wouldn't have made the mistake!"

A loud crack resounded through the room.

Hermione's eyes went wide as she realised that the sound had been caused by Snape's hand slapping her arse. She, looked down and to her horror she was now only wearing a pretty set of pink lace underwear. She blushed and tried to cover herself, Snape held her hands moving her around to face him.

"You are a naughty girl aren't you Miss Granger, what am I going to do with you?" Snape whispered, his lips brushing her ear as he spoke, his chest pressed to hers. Another harder smack to her rear and -

This is when Hermione had woken, trying to ignore the stickiness between her thighs.

"Oh dear god, stupid Snape and his stupidly gorgeous-" _body, face, arse_? Her brain offered unhelpfully. "Scent, I was going to say scent. Shut up brain"

Hermione's head flopped back onto her pillows as she tried with all her might to get back to sleep, it took her a long time, but eventually sleep claimed her once again.

Hermione sprung awake to a loud banging on her door. Ron was on the other side of it shouting that she was going to be late if she didn't get out of bed soon.

It was unusual to say the least that Hermione had overslept, it had only happened a handful of times in her entire life and she was understandably flustered at the idea of being late. She dressed herself quickly, her panic diminished as soon as she realised that she didn't have potions today and quickly as she could she joined Ron in the common room.

"You feeling alright 'Mione?" Ron asked with genuine concern on his freckled features.

"Yes, yes I just had a rather awful nights sleep" she explained, rushing towards the common room door ready to head down to breakfast.

"But your okay though?" He reaffirmed, quickening his steps to keep pace with Hermione.

"Yes Ron, I am okay I just had some pretty disturbing dreams is all. Kept waking me up." She spoke.

"Ah, disturbing. That will be all the time you had to spend with Snape last night, that would disturb me alright. How did that go, he wasn't too much of an arse hole was he?" Ron asked.

Hermione's steps faltered when Ron's words struck a little too close to home but she quickly righted herself as they entered the great hall.

"No, no. Not at all really just his usual snarky self but nothing I can't handle."

They sat in their usual spot and Hermione faintly picked some warm buttered toast and placed it delicately on her plate.

Ron merely nodded and started shoveling food heavy handedly into his face, one of the biggest turn offs that Hermione had about Ron was his table manners. Up at the teachers table Snape looked over to Hermione just as she looked up to him and their eyes locked together.

 _Why are you looking at him, look away, look away … abort._ Hermione's mind pleaded with her but her body was completely non responsive. There was a strange glimmer in Snape's eyes, there was none of his usual coldness there just for a moment he looked almost human. He gave her an imperceptible nod and then turned to engage in a conversation with professor McGonagall.

Her body was warmed by the strange exchange, and her nervousness concerning her next private lesson with him had softened. She looked back at Ron who was still stuffing his face with food and had paid no heed whatsoever to her.

Looking around her she realised that Harry was missing. Though it was not unheard of for Harry to be late to breakfast, or indeed miss it altogether she wondered what he might be up to.

"Where's Harry?" She asked Ron.

"Dunno, probably eating in his rooms with Ferret."

Hermione kicked him under the table for that.

"He has a name Ron." She said sternly.

"Ouch! Alright then, Malfoy. God Hermione, since when did you become so fond of that blonde git?"

Hermione didn't respond, she had kicked him somewhat for the sake of Malfoy but really she just wanted to give him a kick. She might love him dearly, but he was downright annoying sometimes. She just smiled at him and gathered her things leaving the hall to head to her first lesson. Ron grabbed a couple of sausages and his belongings and jogged after her.

Harry was up and dressed, he had managed to get himself completely ready for classes 45 minutes before breakfast even began but he couldn't manage to open his bedroom door.

All of his courage from the previous night had fled and he was petrified. He considered just pretending to be ill so he wouldn't have to face Draco.

 _That's it Harry, defeat the most powerful dark wizard of all time, but can't face a blonde Slytherin you felt up and snogged the night before._

Harry was wringing his hands and pacing back and forth stopping intermittently to look towards the door and then shaking his head and resuming his pacing ritual.

From the other side of the door the voice of that dreaded Slytherin rang out.

"You are going to wear a groove in the floor if you carry on like that Potter, come on out breakfast is ready."

Harry stopped dead, his body went cold and he clambered for what to say in response. He opted for saying nothing and with a heavy sigh he made to leave his room. In his nervousness he opened the door a little too forcefully and stumbled out of his room in a most undignified way.

He gave out a nervous laugh which sounded like he had just taken a shot of giggle water and without even looking at the other boy in the room he headed straight for the main door. He had decided that the best course of action would be to just leave their rooms altogether and head for the Gryffindor common room and hide with his best friends until the end of the day, or forever.

Malfoy watched the whole debacle with much amusement, only getting up from the sofa when he realised that Harry had no intention of remaining with his for breakfast.

"Hey, where do you think you are going?" He managed to come between Harry and his exit.

He sighed and looked anywhere but at Draco's face, not able to conjure a single word for the boy in front of him.

"I see, changed your mind have you?" Draco's voice wavered.

Still no response.

"That's okay too you know. If you don't want to..." Draco swallowed and continued, stepping aside so Harry could pass. Harry moved forward just as he was crossing the threshold Malfoy continued.

"I didn't have a single nightmare last night you know? First time since, well - as long as I can remember, I figure I have you to thank for that. So - thanks." Draco turned and headed for his bedroom in order to sulk or brood he hadn't decided which.

It had been half an hour since Harry had left and Draco's mood had yet to improve.

He was trying to think of something to take his mind off the acute sense of loss he was feeling. He couldn't even amuse himself with magic because Potter had control of his wand.

 _Seems like he has control of bloody everything of mine._ Draco thought to himself sullenly.

A pleasant thought crossed his mind, he closed his eyes smiling to himself and concentrated on the only spell he could do wandlessly.

It was a spell that his mother had taught him when he was little. A fact that would never be admitted to anyone, Draco had always been afraid of the dark so his mother had taught him how to conjure his own night light.

It was a simple charm, you conjure an animal made of a soft light, resembling that of a Patronus but with none of the power. It was common among pure blood witches and wizards as the creature that was conjured could also double as a pet or a companion to a child when their parents were busy, which of course Draco's inevitably always were.

Concentrating hard, Draco took a deep breath.

"Ligero" Draco whispered, but nothing appeared.

"Ligero" he said more loudly, again nothing.

Another couple of failed attempts and finally his ghostly creature appeared on the end of his bed, bounding about happily and chasing his tail. Draco refused to acknowledge the cliché that his creature just so happened to be a dragon. It was only the size of a cat but there it was, and he swelled with pride having been able to complete the spell after many years of pretending not to need his company.

His smile slowly faded as he watched the beast play on his bedcovers, realising how much he missed his mother, a singe tear slipped down his cheek and his Dragon, taking notice, moved to curl up on his lap. Draco simply laughed and allowed several more tears to fall down his cheeks petting the purring luminescent animal.

That was how Harry found Draco, with his back to Harry completely unaware of his presence.

Harry had dithered about where to go once he had left their rooms. He thought to go to Ron and Hermione but he was too distracted to make small talk or answer Ron's relentless questions on how Malfoy was behaving. So he made his way back to their rooms, unhappy with how the morning had started with the other boy. He was determined to put things right.

So here he was, suddenly more nervous than when he had left as he became acutely aware that perhaps he had intruded into Draco's privacy.

"Draco?" Harry asked.

With a start Draco launched himself off the bed whirling around to face Harry. Draco's Dragon ran towards Harry snapping it's jaws angrily before it made a leap at him, Harry braced himself for the attack but just in time the creature disappeared.

There was a deep blush forming on Draco's cheeks, no one had ever found out about his nightlight and now the last person he wanted to share it with had found out about it.

Draco sniffled loudly, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Have you been crying?" Harry asked, a deep frown on his face.

"Yes, but don't flatter yourself, I miss my mother is all. Is there something I can do for you Potter?" Draco answered hotly.

"Well, I came to apologise really." Harry fumbled for the right words.

"Apology accepted, there your conscience is clear, now sod off." Draco dismissed him glaring through the entire sentence.

This was not going the way Harry had hoped.

"The dragon was cool, did you do that wandlessly?' Harry tried.

"Yes you great buffoon, you have my wand, unless you think I have smuggled one in somehow? Feel free to search me." Draco winced at his own words, realising he had just unwittingly offered Harry the chance to feel him up again. He launched into a further tirade.

"Of course, judging by your reaction earlier that would be the last thing you would want to do right?" Draco sighed at that, he continued more quietly

"Look, just go would you. I don't need your awkward apologies. All I want is to be left alone." Draco's chin quivered. He was getting over emotional and he had to get rid of Harry before the tears started again.

Harry, nodded. It would seem that whatever it was that had been developing between the two of them he had managed to put a stop to before it could even really get started. He turned silently, wishing he could fix things, that he could go back to this morning, storm out of his room and kiss Malfoy silly. He couldn't though and so he left Draco alone in his room, closing the door softly behind him.

Harry sat heavily on the sofa in their common room, looking towards the cold plate of breakfast that Draco had served up for him. He could just picture Malfoy now, nervously waiting for Harry to appear and perhaps waiting for a smile, some assurance that the night before hadn't been a regret for the Gryffindor.

Harry was feeling very confused, he hadn't even contemplated his sexuality before. He was always so sure that he liked girls, but then again maybe he just didn't notice how attracted to Malfoy he was until the layers of hatred had been peeled away. Besides did it matter? He knew that he felt attracted to Malfoy, despite his gender. He wanted to kiss him again, to see him smile at him again, to explore that pale alabaster skin with more than just his hands.

Harry, having had enough, felt his Gryffindor bravery resurface. Storming across the room he wrenched Draco's bedroom door open and didn't stop until he was standing in front of his prize. He took Draco by the shoulders and kissed him again. Draco shoved him off just as quickly as the kiss had begun.

"What the fuck Potter?"

Harry undeterred, stepped back towards Draco, locking his arms around the blonde boy's neck and kissing him again. Once more Draco shoved hard but Harry didn't let go and the pair of them toppled backwards onto Draco's bed, Draco on top of Harry.

Harry quickly flipped them over and used his larger body to pin Draco beneath him. They separated, panting heavily and just stared at one another for a few moments until Draco, smiling that smile Harry had been missing, gave up his internal battle and pulled harry down by the front of his robes to rejoin their lips.

They each deepened the kiss at the same time desperately tasting one another inside and out.

"I thought" Draco said before kissing Harry again. "that you"- another kiss - "didn't want" - another - "me" Draco finally pulled back to gauge potters reaction.

Harry just smiled, giving Draco another peck on the lips.

"Not going to pretend I have a clue what is going on between us, or where it might lead. But I do know that I don't want to stop. Whatever this is feels good, you feel good."

"Then what was all of that drama earlier, you dick!" Draco's insult losing traction when he snatched another kiss from Harry.

"Surely by now you know how awkward I can be around people I like?"

"No, you idiot! I was never one of the people you were awkward around, you have never bloody liked me. Or have you forgotten how much we hate each other?"

Harry Frowned.

"Hated, each other Malfoy, I don't think I have hated you since that day in the bathroom in sixth year. Besides - " Harry pressed his erection down in to Draco's own. "Don't think that feels like hatred, do you?"

Draco actually smiled at that and groaned when Harry pressed into him again, harder this time and joined their lips once more.

"Malfoy?" Harry asked.

"Since when were you gay?" The question fell from Harry's lips shyly.

Draco turned the question over in his mind for several seconds before he responded, smoothing his hands down Harrys back and squeezing his backside with a cheeky smile which Harry returned with a blush.

"Fooled around with Zabini in fifth year, nothing too excessive, but I had a good idea then that I was interested in boys. You?"

Harry looked anywhere but at Draco then.

"If I am completely honest, it was the other evening that I started to wonder. That first night when we were in the bathroom. But I don't think I knew until just now when I kissed you again." Harry was turning a shade of red akin to a beetroot at this point and he buried his burning face in Draco's neck.

Draco smiled at his bashfulness and stroked his fingers through Harry's hair, turning his face to kiss Harry's cheek.

"I never thought I would say this but you really are rather endearing Potter"

Harry just groaned, but pressed his lips to Draco's neck fondly.

"As much as I would like to stay like this for the next several hours I fear you are going to be late." Malfoy murmured.

"Shit! have to get to class" Harry moaned. He stood slowly, rearranging his trousers and underwear to accommodate his aching cock.

Draco sighed moving up the bed, flopping his head down on the pillows.

"I will be back later, about five. Maybe you could show me how to conjure that Dragon when I get back?"

"Can't wait" Draco winked at Harry who blushed further still, dodging out of the door and onwards to 'History of Magic' He smiled all the way and when he entered the classroom Hermione looked at him questioningly before making space for him to sit next to her.

"Don't you look like the cat that got the cream? Care to share?" Hermione whispered.

Harry needed to distract her.

"And you look like the cat that couldn't sleep? What's up?"

Hermione choked at that and mumbled something incoherent but didn't push her line of questioning any more.

Harry visibly relaxed and paid less than no attention for the entire class as his thoughts drifted towards his new budding relationship with Malfoy.

Hermione studied Harry surreptitiously for the rest of the class, there was something going on with him that she just couldn't quite place. Of course, Hermione being Hermione she would damn well figure it out.


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's notes:**

 **I realise that many of the Snape/Hermione fans will have felt a little neglected thus far and for that I apologise hopefully this chapter makes up for that. With plenty of Drarry on the side**

Harry spent the majority of the time between first lesson and four thirty thinking solely of what might occur when he was safely back with his new 'friend' in their rooms. The dreamy state Harry was in of course did nothing but spur Hermione on. There was a lazy smile to be found on Harry's face for most of the day and that of course led Hermione to the conclusion that he had gotten himself a someone to smile about.

It was the who that she couldn't figure out. It wasn't Ginny, she knew that much and it couldn't have been a Gryffindor she was fairly certain as she would have heard about it in the common room gossip.

She was perplexed, but when lunch time rolled around another more pressing problem arose.

A note landed artfully on her desk, she looked around but couldn't see who had sent it. There was no writing on the outside and no owl had delivered it so it must have been from someone close by. Looking around once more and seeing no obvious suspects she opened the note. It was from Snape, her whole body went rigid as she recognized his unmistakable his cramped writing.

 _Miss Granger,_

 _Tomorrow evening I am otherwise engaged with Draco Malfoy, I will therefore be unable to complete your lesson._

 _I can accommodate you this evening however, if that is acceptable?_

 _Professor, S. Snape._

She looked up to him, his eyes were on her as she nodded her agreement and he returned the nod and went back to eating his lunch at the teachers table.

The rest of the day, Hermione's thoughts were drawn from her studies and her investigations of Harry and were preoccupied with mentally preparing herself for her next lesson with Snape.

Harry said goodbye to Hermione and Ron far too quickly for either of their liking and he bolted out of sight towards his room with Draco at ten to five. There was no way he was going to be back late.

He burst into the room with gusto only to be greeted with an empty common room. He sidled up to Draco's bedroom door knocking lightly before pushing the door open with a huge smile on his face. His smile fell immediately, when he realised that the room was completely empty.

 _Bathroom!_ Harry thought to himself, excited at the prospect that Draco might already be naked in the next room over.

The smile returned to him as he opened the bathroom door, but fell almost as fast when the bathroom yielded no results either.

Harry huffed.

A thrill ran down his body as his gaze fell upon his own bedroom door. Surely the cheeky little slytherin wouldn't have been so forward as to make himself at home in Harry's bedroom? The short answer to that would be no as it happens and Harry was feeling really rather deflated.

Harry flopped himself down on the sofa in the common room, resigning himself and his half hard cock to a lonely evening.

Then he remembered the map.

Retrieving it, he replaced himself in the same spot on the common room sofa and muttered the words.

"I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."

He scoured the map and realised with disappointment that Draco was in Dumbledore's office. He could be there for hours, Harry thought sulkily.

An hour had past, and still Malfoy's name was in the exact same spot, in Dumbledore's office. So out of boredom and somewhat out of necessity Harry ran himself a bath. He had soaked himself for a further hour hoping that Draco would burst in on him but there was still no sign of Draco so he dried himself slowly and methodically trying to waste as much time as possible. Tying his robe around him he headed back out into the common room to check the map once more.

What he saw gave him a thrill. Draco's marker was on the move, He was running by the look of it. Harry smiled, but then he realised he was running the wrong way. He was running the wrong way and being followed by a group of students some of whose names Harry recognised and some he did not.

He was being chased, Harry's blood ran cold. There must have been six or seven pursuers and Draco was running down a dead-end corridor. Harry threw on his shoes and pelted out of the room heading straight for the corridor in which Draco was cornered.

As Harry got closer he could hear laughing and shouts emanating from the very end of the corridor.

Finally he was confronted with a sickening scene.

Draco was bound by the wrists, his arms twisted unnaturally behind his back so that his shoulders were straining painfully. Draco was crying, Harry didn't know if it was from pain or something else, nor did he care he was about to shout when one of his captors piped up.

"Your disgusting father murdered my mother" the boy sneered, prodding Draco in the chest harshly with his wand.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry" Draco was sobbing the words out and repeating them over and over again.

"Sorry isn't good enough, I am going to make sure you pay for your family's crimes if it's the last thing I do"

Harry watched in horror as the boy muttered the word Crucio and Draco's body was wracked with tremors of pain. The cries of agony torn from Draco's lips were too much for Harry to bare and without thinking he shot an Expeliarmus towards the caster of the curse throwing him several feet away from Draco into a crumpled pile on the floor.

"It _will_ be the last thing you do I assure you" Harry yelled dangerously, his wand still trained on the boy who had spoken who has dared to use an unforgivable on a defenceless sobbing Malfoy.

Draco was panting on the floor looking up at Harry with a look of overwhelming fear mixed with a clear flicker of relief that Harry had found him.

Shocked the group turned away from Draco.

The boy who had attacked Draco went by the name of Jones, and he stood up with some difficulty glaring incredulously at Harry.

"You aren't seriously defending him, again are you? The trial was disappointing enough, why can't you keep your interfering nose out of this Potter?"

Jones pointed at Draco before he continued.

"His father tortured my mother for days. Did you know there was no reason for any of it? She didn't have any information for him. She had nothing, knew nothing, she was a muggleborn, that was it. That was her crime. For all I know junior death eater over here might have had a hand in it too! Is that right Malfoy? Did you Crucio her yourself? Enjoy hearing her beg for mercy, did you?"

Harry was shaken by his words. There was a truth in them, Draco's family had caused so much death and pain he couldn't believe he had almost forgotten that.

He looked over to Draco, whose eyes were pleading with Harry to help him. Tears were flooding down his face and his sobs were gut wrenching. Harry didn't see a killer, knelt before him. He saw the frightened boy he had seen at the trial, a fiery surge of possessiveness coursed through him, there was no way in hell he would allow anybody to harm him even in the name of revenge.

As quick as anything Harry had put himself between Draco and Jones

"I am sorry for your mother, really, I am. But you have to know that this is not the way to memorialise her. Punishing him will gain you nothing but expulsion and is that really what she would have wanted?"

Jones wavered slightly.

"You say she died for no reason, don't make you being kicked out of school into the reason. Look, just go and we can forget this ever happened."

The boy turned this idea over in his mind, his shoulders sagged and he retrieved the wand being offered to him by Harry.

"Fuck you Malfoy, come on guys let's get out of here" He said spitting at the blonde boy.

When they had finally left Harry untied Draco's arms, the boy winced and fell forward onto the floor in exhaustion.

"You shouldn't have come, but I am so glad you are here." Draco whimpered.

"Nothing could have stopped me from coming to you. Do you need to go to the hospital wing?"

Draco shook his head as much as his aching muscles would allow.

"Come on then, let's get you back to the room and run you a nice hot bath, yeah?" Harry tried.

Draco nodded, clinging to Harry as he helped him stand. They made their way silently, but for Draco's quiet sobs, and finally they were back in their rooms. Harry moved Draco onto the sofa and left him to run his bath.

"Come on Draco, your bath is ready." Harry said.

Draco disrobed quickly, with shaky hands and taking a deep somewhat calming breath he stepped into the bath.

Harry turned to leave but Draco halted him.

"Please Harry? Don't go." The blonde said shyly, staring at the bubbles in the water.

"Okay, I wont leave you." Harry said moving to sit on a bench he was sure had only just appeared.

"No Harry, Come in with me"

Harry didn't need to be told twice. He wanted to comfort Draco, he had a desperate need to hold him and make him feel safe so he just nodded, taking off his own clothes and moving down the steps into the bath.

Draco just waited in the very middle of the bath, he didn't make any eye contact with Harry as if waiting for Harry to make the first move.

You didn't have to tell Harry twice, he surged through the water towards Draco, taking him firmly in his arms, he wrapped his hand around the back of Draco's head and pressed his head down to rest on his shoulder.

They stayed like that for a long while, Harry toying with the damp silky soft hair threading it between his fingers before Harry realised Draco was crying.

"Draco? Are you okay?" Harry asked, barely louder than a whisper.

Draco didn't respond save the tighten of his hold on Harry. He turned his head into Harry's and pressed a kiss the curve where Harry's shoulder joined his neck.

"You want to talk to me?"

Draco shook his head, pressing his lips to Harry once again.

"Thank you" Draco said against Harry.

"Don't thank me, please I barely did anything."

"Thank you for everything" Draco said finally moving his head back so he could meet Harry's eyes.

"Thank you for saving me at the trial, for saving my family, for putting up with my moods these past few days, and for saving me again, just now. Mostly though, thank you for saving us, from him – from the Dark Lord."

"Well I -" Harry searched for a response.

"You don't have to say anything, really you don't. You don't have to play down the fact that you are in fact a genuine hero. Don't say 'oh it was nothing' or 'I had help' or 'I got lucky' just accept the fact that I owe you my gratitude probably more than most and that I mean it whole heartedly when I say. Thank you." Draco stated, not once breaking eye contact.

Harry was speechless, which judging by Draco's smirk was what Draco had been aiming for. The next thing he knew Harry's body had taken over proceedings and he was pressing his lips to the Slytherin's in a heated kiss that made Draco swoon clinging to Harry as though his life depended on it.

They kissed and they kissed and they kissed some more and they explored each other's slippery bodies with greedy tongues and desperate hands.

Draco was the first to pull away, panting like he had just run at least three marathons.

"We have to get out of this bath" He stuttered out.

Harry raised an eyebrow.

"Why?" He asked.

"Because as sexy as this is, in approximately two minutes I am going to start to go pruney and that is not a good look for me, or anyone actually."

Harry looked to Draco, searching for any sign that what he had just said was a joke.

There was no such hint, Draco looked as serious as he did when he was making his heartfelt speech to Harry a few minutes earlier. Harry was gobsmacked, and immediately let out a full, deep laugh full of mirth.

Draco was shocked.

"What are you laughing at Potter?" Draco's old stony voice cut through the laughter but Harry couldn't stop through his giggles he attempted a reply.

"You – You – are such a prissy git - sometimes Malfoy. I almost, almost forgot how much of a ponce you can be."

Draco was less than pleased.

"Fine you can stay here, I am going to my bedroom" Draco tried to stomp his way out of the bath but with the depth of the water he only managed a cute little wiggly swish up the steps and out of the water which did nothing but make Harry laugh even harder.

Draco turned a deep shade of red and grabbing his robe he left the bathroom with a hard scowl on his face.

Harry stopped laughing when he realised he may have taken his taking the piss out of Draco a little too far. Rolling his eyes, he drained the bath and dried himself off donning his robe and moving out of their bathroom towards Draco's bedroom door.

Harry knocked, to which there was no reply.

He knocked again, still he was met with a cold silence.

He turned the handle and pushed the door open slowly, knowing that it would be open as Harry still had Draco's wand, preventing him from locking the door.

Draco was nowhere in sight, Harry's heart sank. Thoughts of earlier sprung into his head, hoping to god that Draco hadn't stormed off out of their rooms altogether. Harry wracked with guilt turned on his heel and was about to leave when he was accosted from behind.

Harry let out a feminine squeal before he calmed, recognising the slender arms and delicate hands that wrapped around his middle.

Draco was laughing now.

"That will teach you for taking the piss out of me." He giggled, swatting Harry's arse playfully, Draco backed away towards his bed.

Harry turned again quickly towards Draco and almost growled, Draco's eyes went wide as he was faced with a grinning Potter moving quickly towards him and before he could dodge out of the way Harry had tackled him to the bed and mauled the boy with kisses and gropes. Harry quickly removed Malfoy's robe and his eye zoned in on his target.

Harry felt a heady wave of emotion wash over him, a mixture of nerves and excitement and lust.

Draco's eyes nearly felt out of his head when in one sudden movement Harry had lowered himself down the bed putting him face to face with Draco's cock.

"Harry, you don't have to do that if - "

Harry's heart warmed at the offer, but he actually found that he wanted to. He wanted to take Draco's cock in his mouth and make him squirm. So he counted himself in and in the count of three he – did nothing.

Draco smiled down at him.

"It's okay Harry, really. Kissing and a little groping is one thing but sucking another guys cock for the first time is something else entirely. Come here."

"I really want to, but I mean – well, what if I suck at it" Harry asked awkwardly.

"Well, sucking at it is kind of the whole idea" Draco smirked.

Harry just hid his face in embarrassment. Draco chuckled quietly and placed his hand on Harry's shoulder.

"Come up here, do you want me to – for you?"

Harry shook his head, moving up the bed to lay down next to Draco placing an arm around him and dropping his head onto Draco's shoulder.

"I think I am just going to go to bed, it's getting late and if I am honest I am exhausted." Harry said with a well timed yawn.

Draco sighed happily, nodding slowly and pulling Harry nearer.

Harry got up allowing Draco to reposition himself in the bed with his head on his pillows, wriggling his way down under the covers.

"I'll just see you in the morning then?" Harry didn't mean it to come out as a plea but there it was anyway, he walked slowly towards Draco's door hoping that the blonde would ask him to join him.

"Good night Harry" Draco said, smirking to himself.

Harry deflated slightly, moving more quickly now towards the door.

"Yes, good night"

Draco allowed him to reach the door and just when he turned the handle...

"You could always just stay in here with me?" Draco asked with an amused smile.

Harry didn't even reply he just strode across the room in seconds removing his robe in one fluid movement and lifted the covers sliding in.

Draco immediately wrapped himself around Harry, legs and arms tangling and his face pressed into Harry's hair inhaling the smell of him deeply with a moan.

Harry had never thought of himself as a snuggler, but at that moment there was nowhere he would like to be. That night both boys fell asleep with smiles on their faces.

Hermione found herself once again standing outside of Snape's classroom nervously. It was her second private lesson with the potions master.

"You are going to be late if you don't come inside soon Miss Granger." Snape's surly voice sounded through the door.

He's got a surveillance charm on his chambers Hermione thought sulkily, realising that he must have known that she had been there for a full five minutes already.

Taking in a deep breath she pushed open the door and entered the classroom to be greeted by a selection of ingredients laid out on five different tables.

Snape wasted no time, he crossed the room to stand in front of Hermione.

"You will see that there are five sets of ingredients laid out here" He gestured broadly with one arm.

"Each of these will correctly make a different potion. I want you to decide which one will allow you to achieve the potion Felix Felicis, more commonly known as -"

"Liquid luck, Hermione finished for him."

Snape nodded but scowled as he did so, clearly not best pleased that he had been cut off.

"You may begin. Your time starts now."

Once again Hermione hurriedly threw down her bag and dived straight into working on the task at hand.

She studied the tables carefully, and decided that the desk closest to Snape's own housed the correct ingredients for Liquid Luck and started to create the potion.

Half an hour in and Hermione had to stop working to allow the potion to simmer for fifteen minutes. Snape took this opportunity to investigate her work. Sweeping out from his desk he rounded on Hermione and she was immediately assaulted by that addictive scent she had favoured the previous lesson.

Snape pretended not to notice her taking a deep lungful of air as he stood next to her.

"It is satisfactory Miss Granger, please do continue." Snape sounded anything but pleased.

"Sir?" Hermione asked just as he made to leave her side.

"Yes Miss Granger."

"I am missing an ingredient am I not?"

"I was hoping you would say that, you are indeed. I will not tell you which it is but if you think you know you can retrieve it from the store" Snape said.

Hermione headed to the store room to retrieve the missing ingredient, up on the highest shelf she spotted it. Powdered common rue, but there was no way that she was going to be able to reach it.

"Professor? I could do with your help to get it down. It's on the top most shelf." Hermione called.

Snape appeared within moments standing next to her causing Hermione to jump back into one of the shelves. Several bottles containing goodness only knows what started swaying ominously above the pair of them. They exchanged an exasperated look before the potions came tumbling down covering them both.

"Stupid girl!" shaking his arms, which were now dripping in potions.

Hermione felt anger welling up inside her as she tried in vain to rid herself of whatever she was currently covered in.

"Well, if you hadn't come sneaking up on me, scaring me half to death then none of this would have happened."

"Who exactly do you think you are talking to Miss Granger? You do -" Snape shook his head feeling his ire slipping away.

"You do, realise I am your -" Shaking his head again he stumbled out of the store room and into the classroom.

Hermione feeling similarly woozy followed her professor who was currently propped up against one of the vacant desks.

"My what?" Hermione asked lowly, smiling at her professor and edging closer to him.

"I don't know, what am I?" Snape asked her smiling back widely.

"You are -" Hermione turned to look around as if there was something in the room that could give her the answer. Spotting the bubbling and presumably ruined Liquid luck potions she extinguished the heat below it and looked back at Snape.

Hermione slipped down to the floor next to Snape, crossing her legs at the ankles. Snape, promptly did the same but pushed his legs out taking up rather a lot of floor space.

"I don't know what you are, or who you are come to think of it. Mmmm, but you smell delicious." Hermione said leaning into Snape and pressing her nose into the side of his face.

"Maybe you are here to tell me how nice I smell?" Snape asked, followed by a particularly effeminate giggle.

"Why is my hair all sticky?" Hermione asked dreamily.

"Mine is too I think. Funny that, are we at the hairdressers. You could definitely do with a trim look at that crazy bushy barnet!"

"Your one to talk, you don't look like you have washed your hair since you hit puberty!" Hermione fired back.

They both looked at each other for a long while smiling and trying to figure out why the other looked so familiar. Neither of them could quite recall why they were here, or whom the other person in the room was. Snape spotted some of the candles in the sconces along the walls.

"Look, candles." Snape slurred pointing animatedly at each one. "I know why we are here, it must have been a date."

Hermione frowned at this, she stood up and swayed a little as she looked around the room. Kneeling back down in between Snape's spread legs

"I don't think so, there is no food up there. I think we might be in an apothecary."

Snape scowled, he was so sure that he had been right.

"Yes that's it. I am the apothecary and you are my lovely, pretty little somewhat sticky haired date" he nodded at that.

"You think I'm pretty?" Hermione smiled even wider.

"I do, do you think I am pretty?"

Hermione regarded Snape for a while, dramatically tilting her head from side to side.

"Well, don't take all day, you either think I am pretty of not. Here does this help?" Snape said, he struggled to remove his cloak, his waistcoat and his shirt revealing his pale, lightly toned chest.

Hermione looked shocked at the sudden development.

"Oh yes" Hermione said moving forward and placing one knee on either side of his hips straddling his thighs. "Oh yes, that definitely helps." And before you could say 'inappropriate teacher – student relations' Hermione and Snape's lips met each other with force.

They both moaned at the contact, Hermione pressing her body as close to Snape's as was physically possible. It wasn't close enough however and she removed her robes her tie and her shirt without once releasing Snape's lips.

The pair lapped at each other hungrily, hands roving everywhere. Hermione's settled with her fingers linked together behind Snape's neck. Snape's had found themselves right at home underneath Hermione's skirt massaging her arse methodically.

They finally pulled apart both of them panting as Snape, smirking seductively, pushed his hips up pressing his erection against Hermione's soaked knickers.

She let her head fall back at the contact and moaned out loudly.

"Sir" She said and her eyes snapped open.

"Hermione" Snape responded.

Their eyes met and a sickening realisation dawned on the pair of them. Memories of the lesson before the store room incident rapidly returned to the pair neither one of them daring to move.

The pairs breathing slowed as they regained some of their sense.

"Professor?" Hermione whispered.

Snape did not respond.

That intoxicating scent once again invaded Hermione's senses and before she could control herself she moaned loudly once again her eyes fluttering shut and her hips rocking gently against Snape's lap.

Snape's eyes closed at the sound a look of pure bliss on his face as he pushed back up to meet her.

They looked at one another again.

"This is wrong" Snape murmured, almost too quiet for Hermione to hear.

"It is" She whispered again, contrary to their conversation Hermione's hips still moved gently, back and forth against her professor.

"We should stop" He tried again, making no move to remove Hermione from her current position.

Hermione stilled at this.

"Is that what you want?" She asked more seriously this time.

He didn't answer, he couldn't bring himself to say anything he just pressed up into her again.

"Not me" She said, before kissing her potions master harshly, slipping her tongue between his welcoming lips.

They moved like that, for a long time until it was torturous for the both of them and they pulled apart from the kiss once more.

Snape moved his hand gently down Hermione's chest marvelling at the supple body he had half naked and pressed against him. His hand moved lower and with a questioning look to Hermione he asked permission to move below her skirt.

She smiled coyly at him and nodded her approval before her eyes slipped shut as Snape's skilled fingers stroked her through her underwear.

Hermione's hips twitched at the teasing touches and practically growled when his hand moved aside the scrap of cotton separating her from him and tentatively pressed a finger inside.

The heat and tightness of her was almost too much for him as his cock strained for attention.

Hermione, almost reading his thoughts reached down to open his trousers and found her way into his boxers taking his leaking cock into her hand.

"So big professor" She whispered. Stroking him gently.

"Keep calling me professor and this won't last longer than five seconds." He groused.

"Got a few kinks I see, sir?." She teased and Snape had had enough.

He lifted her off her perch on his lap with ease, earning him an indignant squeak as his hand left her where she needed him most. Standing with some difficulty in front of her.

She was just about to argue with him when he dropped is trousers and boxers and presented her with a rather large, rather angry looking erection.

Hermione licked her lips.

"Let's see if we can't keep you quiet, shall we Miss Granger?" He smirked when she blushed, but it soon slipped off his face when she obediently placed her mouth around the head of his cock and began to suck.

"Fuck" He gasped.

"This is so very, very wrong." Snape reiterated.

Hermione moved to cup his balls at that stroking and tickling him causing him to shiver.

Hermione lathed him with attention before finally pulling back with a soft pop. Snape's arms wrapped around her as she stood and begged him.

"Please, I need you."

"There really is no going back from this." He warned.

"I know, I want you."

Snape lifted her once again with ease and moved her to wrap her legs around his waist. He moved her soft cotton underwear aside and lined himself up with her. A flicker of panic crossed his features.

"You're not a? - I mean – have you?"

"I'm not a virgin sir, if that's what you are asking" she blushed.

He moved to kiss her then, pressing gently at her opening. When she moved to meet him, he pushed more insistently and finally he was inside her.

They both moaned at the contact, Hermione's head tilted back in pleasure and Snape burying his face in the soft swell of her breasts started a gentle rhythm pressing all the way in and then lifting her so that he was almost all the way out, then plunging back in again.

They kept at this slow pave, enjoying the feel of each other kissing any part of each other they could reach.

"Sir, I'm gonna - " and she did, the waves of pleasure sending her eyes rolling upward into her skull. Moments later Snape's body tensed and his hips jerked into her erratically and he was joining her. Holding on to her tightly and leaning heavily on the desk behind him.

Snape carefully lifted her off him and placed her back on her unsteady feet.

"Well, that was - " She couldn't finish, as her faculties returned and the lusty fog that had descended retreated from her mind she began to feel nervous as to what would happen next. To break the tension she leaned up once again to kiss him, gently this time before stepping back a fraction.

She stood in front of him , studying his features. His eyes were closed and he was still panting at the effort of their endeavours. His body was still on display and she ate it up hungrily, memorising ever detail as she usually would a book.

 _This is probably never going to happen again._ She thought sullenly.

Once again, like he was reading her mind Snape spoke.

"This can never happen again" He said retrieving his trousers and underwear from where they still remained around his ankles.

Hermione rolled her eyes at that and simply nodded, refusing to meet his eyes. They both dressed in silence and Hermione gathered her things.

"What potion was that sir? The ones that fell on us"

"Judging by the location on the shelf I would say a mixture of a memory dampener of some sort and a lust potion." Snape's tone was all back to business, he had lost the soft edge he had used whilst they made love.

"I would thank you to not mention the events of this evening to anyone. It would, as I am sure you are aware, cost me a great deal not least of course being my job. Possibly even a trip to azkaban" He stared at her pointedly.

"As far as I am concerned, Sir, nothing happened this evening. Well, other than the fact that I failed your class."

Hermione looked a little sad at that and then continued.

"Am I to assume that our lessons will not be continuing Sir?" She knew what the answer would be, but she had to be sure.

Snape pondered this, he was silent a beat too long and Hermione simply nodded. She turned her back on her professor and made to leave the room.

Snape managed to capture her, once again making Hermione jump as he took hold of her arm to halt her escape.

"I will allow you to repeat this lesson Hermione" He said, clearing his throat "I will meet you on Saturday evening at six promptly."

Hermione smiled at this, warming at the fact he had used her given name rather than her last, nodding her ascent.

"Thank you, professor it really does mean a lot to me to pass this class."

With that Hermione was gone.

Snape sighed and shook his head, what had he been thinking!

After clearing up the classroom, he headed in to assess the damage in the storeroom. He knew of course that it was not a lust potion that had fallen from the shelf. Sighing, he realised he would have to clean up the storeroom the following morning. He was due at Malfoy Manor twenty minutes ago. With a soft pop, he apparated.

Hermione opened the door to the potions classroom.

"Professor?" But he was nowhere in sight and the classroom was spotless, so she tried the storeroom.

There on the floor were the fragments of the bottles which had been destroyed and had led her to her evenings exploits. Snape had been right, there was the bottle of memory dampener. That explained the fuzzy memory lapse that they both suffered earlier in the evening. She was just about to leave when she realised that the other bottles which had fallen didn't resemble lust potion at all. Besides why would professor Snape even keep lust potion in stock?

She crouched down to investigate and what she found gave her a shock. The Second potion in the mix was an inhibitions remover. There was no lust induced mania which had caused them to connect as they had, it was all them. Admittedly, with the aid of a potion named 'Brew of Courage' but still. Somewhere between the two of them they really had wanted each other.

Hermione stood, and as she left the storeroom and classroom she realised there was no way she was going to give up a chance at having at least one more round of amazing sex with her now suddenly not so scary, particularly sexy Professor. Especially now she knew that they were both interested in a way other than professional.

Hermione was less surprised at her lust for her potions master than one might assume she would be. All in all it made sense, she had always, ever since their very first lesson wanted to gain his admiration. Clearly, as the years had passed this need for recognition had transformed into something more.

 _Oh professor, just you wait until Saturday._


	9. Chapter 9

**Author's Notes.**

 **Okay so I am back, I had a severe case of writer's block and a severe lack of time to deal with it (damn you real world!) but hopefully I have gotten past that. I am aiming at updating once a week from now on, probably on a Thursday or a Friday. To be honest I hadn't expected this story to take quite such a dark turn so be warned.**

 **Well I hope you enjoy,**

 **Much love xx**

Draco couldn't tell where in the castle he was but judging by the dampness of the masonry he was somewhere close to the dungeons. It was dank and dark and miserable and the muscles in Draco's shoulders felt as though they were on the edge of tearing. He was once again strung up helplessly and Jones was once again looming in front of him.

"Do you really think he likes you?" Jones' voice was low and sinister and accompanied by a vulgar chuckle.

"Do you think he is going to fall in love with you Malfoy? That he will love you and cherish you til' death do you part. Face facts Draco, who could honestly care about you?"

Draco closed his eyes against his torturer.

"I don't see what that has to do with you, Jones" Malfoy replied.

"Do you honestly think that this is anything but an experiment to him? A way of improving his bedroom skills, so to speak? You a dirty, disgusting little death eater. Once he has had his fill he will go and find himself a proper suitor. Someone he wouldn't have to be ashamed to be seen with. You know I bet when he does fuck you he will take you from behind, so he doesn't have to look at you, so he doesn't have to think about who you are or what you are. Then you are nothing more than a tight little hole."

"Shut up" Draco managed with each sentence.

"Oh, you know what I think? He's probably just reporting back to his little friends. I bet the whole of Gryffindor are pissing themselves laughing at what Harry can make his little pet ferret do for him. They're probably taking bets to see how far you'll let him go. Yes I can see it now"

Jones cleared his throat adopting a Harry like lilt to his voice.

"This morning my little death eater slut let me fuck his throat, he even let me slap him about a bit. Next time I think I might make the little whore choke on it." He let out a rumbling laugh at that.

"Fuck off Jones"

"Now, now Malfoy that kind of language isn't becoming of a pretty little pureblood heir is it?"

Draco's head snapped to the side, Jones' hand striking him hard.

"Is that what you want him to do? Hit you hard like the Auror's did? Make you scream? Whilst he fucks your virgin little hole. Once he has your virginity, he wont want you, you do realise that?"

"Please stop" Draco was begging, tears began rolling full force down his cheeks.

"I bet daddy dearest would be so proud to learn that his pureblood son, his only heir, was nothing but a fuck toy for the great Harry Potter. You are disgusting, pathetic. Why would anybody want you?"

Draco let out a scream, straining to release himself from the bonds but it was no use.

The room went dark and Draco could no longer see, he couldn't tell where Jones was and fear was rising in his gut bubbling its way to the surface.

It was Harry's voice that cut through the darkness.

"Draco?" it called, it wasn't Jones' voice.

Draco tried to respond but found that he couldn't, his throat was filling with liquid and he began to choke.

"Draco?! Come on Draco!" It was Harry, he had called louder this time.

Draco's body rocked from side to side violently and he squeezed his eyes shut tightly.

"Draco!" Harry's voice was right beside him now and Draco's body went into freefall. Just before he hit the bottom of the black abyss he found himself in, he jerked awake looking wildly around at his surroundings searching for something to ground him, he was back in his bedroom. There beside him was a panicked looking Harry. Both of Harry's hands were holding tight onto Draco's biceps as he struggled to calm him.

"Hey it's okay." Harry soothed "You were having another nightmare. Just breathe for me."

Draco's face was wet with tears and his heart was pounding loudly in his ears. Draco finally got his breathing under control and looked into Harry's eyes.

"I couldn't wake you, you scared the life out of me. You're okay now. You're okay Draco." Harry offered a tentative smile, stroking one of Draco's arms gently with a warm hand trying to soothe the panicked boy.

Draco said nothing, shrugging himself out of Harry's grip he threw his legs out of the bed and stood up on shaky legs with his back to Harry.

"Draco?" Harry asked. "You okay?"

"Do I look okay you halfwit?" Draco sneered, wincing at the scratchy feeling in his throat.

Draco heard the movement of Harry on the bed as he made his way over to Draco.

"Don't even think about putting your hands on me." Draco all but barked at Harry. He turned to face the confused Gryffindor.

"Out. Get out."

Harry recoiled at the look of venom on Draco's face.

"But Draco? It was just a nightmare, your safe see? You're here, and you're safe and you're with me" Harry tried a smile again.

"It's okay" He held out his hand.

Draco rolled his eyes.

"Don't you see that is exactly the problem. I don't want to be here with you. I am not your toy, or your experiment or your fucking problem so just fuck off."

Harry stilled at that, his outstretched hand dropping back down to the bed.

"I never said you were, god Malfoy we really have to address your moods. Come back to bed, we can…" Draco cut him off.

"I am going to say this only once more, and I will say it nice and slowly so your backward Gryffindor brain can comprehend." Draco leant in close to Harry.

"Fuck. Off. Out. Of. My. Room. You. Prick."

Harry's face hardened at that, scowling at the Slytherin with everything he had.

"Fine." He snapped and grabbing his robe he fled the seething blonde's room slamming both Draco's and his own door and flinging himself onto his own cold bed.

Draco, gave a short, sharp satisfied nod at a job well done and ignoring the sinking feeling in his chest he climbed back under his covers and pressed himself into his pillow, closing his eyes. The tears flowed freely then, and Draco did little to try and stop them.

Across the common room Harry was in a foul mood. He beat the life out of his pillow to get it into a comfortable shape and slammed his head down onto it.

Harry found sleep after a long tirade given to the empty room 'only trying to help the stupid little Slytherin Ponce' and 'not my fault he has a few fucking screws loose'.

When Draco woke Thursday morning he was disappointed to find a lack of warm Gryffindor in his bed before the events of that night filtered into existence. Frowning, Draco huffed and turned over in his bed laying flat on his back and staring at the Green velvet canopy overhead. He was torn between knowing that Harry really wasn't the type of person to do all of the things that creepy nightmare version of Jones had accused him of and that nagging doubt of 'but what if he is'.

Draco's mind wandered for hours. He knew Harry had left as he had heard the door slam loudly at around 8:15 that morning warning Draco that if nothing else Harry's mood had not improved. It was about twelve now and having missed breakfast and after several loud growls from his stomach he finally slipped out of bed, put on his robe and headed into the common room to investigate what the house elves had left him.

Four ham sandwiches later Draco was lounging on one of the sofas and sipping on a cup of tea further contemplating his predicament. For the next few hours he garnered little success and in the spirit of avoiding his problems for as long as possible he hid himself back away in his rooms before Potter's inevitable return after classes.

Draco was immersed in one of his potions course books when a sharp knock came at his door.

Subconsciously making himself look a little more presentable to Harry, he ran his fingers through his hair and adopted a slightly more rigid posture at his desk. Thankful that he had the good mind to get himself dressed a little earlier on he called for the guest to enter.

"Come along Draco" It was not Harry, it was Snape.

"Excuse me professor?"

"It is time for your visit to your parents, come along or we shall be late" Snape prompted again.

After the events of the night before he had completely forgotten that he had been allowed to visit his parents that evening, a little guilt started to make itself known. He had been so wrapped up in his problems he had spared little thought for his family.

His disappointment that his visitor was not Harry quickly fled as the concept of seeing his parents and more specifically his mother warmed him. He exited his room trailing behind Snape hoping to get a glimpse of Harry in their common room but there was no sign of him. Draco let out a small sigh and exited, hurrying along after his godfather.

Harry was in a foul mood all day, he barely spoke to Hermione who seemed as far as he was concerned to be in far too good of a mood for what was apparently no reason at all.

"Talk about turn around 'mione. You were miserable yesterday now you look like you are about to burst into song." Ron had said.

"Yes well Ronald, I am allowed to be in a good mood once in a while." She turned to Harry.

"Speaking of which, yesterday _you_ were all sunshine and roses. Today..."

"I don't want to talk about it, Malfoy is just getting on my last nerve."

"Sorry to hear that mate, that didn't take long. It seemed as though things were pretty okay there? What happened?"

"Really, I don't want to talk about it, he is just a whiney, moody little git." Harry groused.

"Well its any wonder. Imagine what he has been through, I know I wouldn't want to spend five minutes in Azkaban never mind months. Not to mention how nervous he has to be about coming back to classes, he has got to have a fair few more enemies here at Hogwarts after the war. I would be terrified."

Harry's mind flicked back to the previous night and the events with Jones. Guilt started to make an appearance at the forefront of Harry's mind.

 _Nope, not going to go soft on him. He was a dick for no reason._

 _'Yes, but he was tortured in Azkaban, then tortured in Hogwarts, then tortured by whatever, or whoever in his nightmare. Pretty bleak outlook for Malfoy really'_ His mind supplied.

 _Well nobody did ask you, fuck off!_ He argued back.

He paid little attention to Ron who kept wittering on about something one of the portraits had said to him the previous night.

Now hours later, as he trudged back up to the Room of Requirement his mood was dipping even lower at the thought of having to come face to face with the surly psychopath he had to share a dorm with.

 _He is pretty sexy though._ His brain supplied, serving little else than to further dampen his mood.

 _And infuriating, miserable and... didn't I tell you to fuck off?_

It was just past six when he arrived back at the common room having decided to eat with Dean and Seamus in the Great Hall. Ron had gone back to argue further with the painting about whatever it was it had said to piss him off so much and Hermione said something about needing to go shopping. He had been quietly relieved when she refused his offer to join her, she had said something about it being a 'personal matter' and not wanting to embarrass him.

So Harry found himself sitting at the desk in the common room with his quill and parchment at the ready for the Potions essay. Pointedly ignoring the door with the large D stamped onto it where he could only assume his prickly ward was residing.

Every time he heard a small noise his eyes would flick up to the door of Draco's room and he would hold his breath waiting for the blonde to make an appearance but every time he was greeted with silence.

Deciding he was getting nowhere fast with his assignment Harry decided to call it a night, flicking up a tempus charm and seeing it was nine thirty he started to gather his things and tidy them away into his bag. He was half way to his door when the common room door opened and in strode Malfoy a warm smile on his face which faltered when his eyes came to rest on Harry.

Harry stilled, looking over to his roommate, just as Draco went to open his mouth Harry hurried into his room closing the door behind him quickly.

Draco's shoulders sagged with disappointment.

"Hello to you to." he said to the empty common room and headed into his own room closing it softly behind him. He sat on the bed and tried to digest everything that had occurred during his excursion to the manor that evening.

His visit with his parents had put things into perspective a little bit for Draco. His mother was fairing well, she did nothing but fuss over him just as she always had and it was comforting and not nearly as annoying as Draco remembered it being.

His father was the cold Lord of the manor he had always been but it was clear that it was more for show than anything and he was almost imperceptibly gentler when addressing Draco which told Draco all he needed to know, so far, they were doing okay. They ate dinner and chatted about nothing in particular until the subject of Harry came up.

"So Draco, how are you and Mister Potter getting along?" Narcissa asked whilst she lifted her napkin elegantly to the corner of her mouth to delicately wipe away an imaginary crumb.

Draco's eyes dropped to the table.

"Yes, we are getting along just fine mother. Everything is very amicable"

"Well I would hope that you would be more than amicable. You are making an effort with the boy aren't you Draco. He is the only reason we are all still living after all"

Snape having kept quiet through almost the entire visit feigned indifference as the conversation took a more serious turn.

"What do you mean mother"

"Draco, as you well know we all owe that young man a great debt. I expect you to treat Mister potter as an esteemed friend and put all of this school boy rivalry behind you."

"We expect you to make an ally of the Potter boy Draco. He is our only chance to redeem what little remains of the Malfoy name from the mud it is currently buried in." Lucius adds.

"I will try my best father"

"That is all we can ask of you my darling boy" His mother smiles at him and the meal continued without another word.

Finally as they were leaving Draco found himself pulled into a strong hug from his mother and leaning down she whispered in his ear.

"You are a good boy Draco, make them see it. Make them know that you are nothing like your father."

Draco tightened his arms around his mother at that nodding just enough to let her know that he understood even if he has no idea how to do as she asked before she let him go, saying their goodbyes he returned with Snape to the castle.

Draco sat in his room, alone surrounded by the silence he was afforded by having his own quarters. Suddenly feeling very alone he decided to head for a late-night bath. Gathering his things, he exits his room and opens the bathroom door.

Harry is stood on the far side of the room with a towel wrapped around his hips whilst he towel dried his hair. Draco is struck dumb for a moment as his eyes take in the Quidditch toned arms and chest covered with a light tan faded from summer. When their eyes meet, Draco licks his lips finding his mouth suddenly dry. It is Harry that speaks first.

"I will be done in a minute Malfoy, if you don't mind." He says monotonously nodding towards the door in an effort to get him to leave.

"I really don't mind at all" He says allowing his eyes to slip down Harry's body once more.

Harry huffs and gathers his things, brushing past Draco roughly as he makes to leave the room.

"Harry…" Draco tries but he is immediately cut off.

"No Malfoy, as far as I am concerned from now on I am here to keep you out of trouble. Are you currently in trouble?"

"Well no I …"

"Then good night" He says and leaves the room before Draco can respond.

Draco merely stares at the space where Harry was stood moments ago, sighing once again he goes through the motions of bathing himself and applying his ointment to every part of him he can reach.

When he finally climbs back into his bed he conjures his Dragon night light with a great deal of effort and allows himself to sleep readying himself to start putting things right tomorrow morning.

Harry on the other hand found sleeping much more difficult. He lay awake in bed after his short exchange with Draco.

 _'He must be so lonely, so afraid.'_ His inner self whispers.

 _Why does that mean that I have to be the one to bare the brunt of his psychotic outbursts?_

 _'Because you are all he has?'_

Harry rolled his eyes at that.

 _'He has been trapped in these rooms with you, the only time he ventured out he got attacked by that idiot Jones'_

 _Alright shut up, I will try and talk to git in the morning._

Finally, somewhat at peace with his conscience Harry's slipped into unconsciousness.


	10. Chapter 10

**Hi guys, next chapter is here for you, sorry it took so long. Real world got in the way... as usual.**

 **Hope you are all well and that you enjoy this next instalment.**

 **Thanks for all the kind reviews, favourites and follows. As ever you are all so very kind and I really appreciate all the feedback.**

 **All mistakes are my own.**

 **xxxx**

There was a scratching sound, it was incessant and quite frankly bloody annoying but Harry couldn't figure out where it was coming from. Trying to ignore it, he concentrated on the scene in front of him.

Harry was on a beach and it was glorious. The sun was warming him pleasantly, and the gentle ebbing of the waves were soothing his tired mind. All was quiet again, and so Harry allowed himself to relax. He was laying with the soft sand tickling his skin, one arm slung over his eyes.

It was a far cry from the cold castle and though he loved Hogwarts, he knew he would much rather be here, if just for a little while.

For another few minutes he enjoyed the little paradise his unconscious mind had provided him until another round of scratching threatened to rouse him once again.

Harry ignored it, he was enjoying this too much to care.

Then there was an intense heat on his calf, for a moment Harry wondered if he had gotten sunburn. He realised the unlikeliness of this occurring in his dream and with a chuckle and the disappearance of the hot sensation he once again relaxed.

A few moments went by and there it was again, this time however it wasn't just warm it was hot, rather painful, located across his chest and accompanied by at least a dozen little pin pricks digging into his flesh. With that Harry's little glimpse of paradise slipped away from him. When he opened his eyes he was confronted with Draco's little Dragon, it's jaws were agape and the small creature was breathing a blue flame onto his chest.

"Argh!" Harry yelled flipping the Dragon off his belly and falling from the bed into a heap on the floor.

Scrambling to get up and ready to defend himself from the creature, he grabbed for his wand aiming it right between it's eyes. His eyes flicking down to his upper body to make sure he wasn't seriously damaged. There was no sign that he had just been scorched so he refocused his attention on the sly little animal.

Draco's dragon just cocked his head to one side and bounded out of his room. Curious Harry followed.

The animal stopped outside of Draco's bedroom door which was open just as his had been, he could only assume the Dragon had somehow managed to open it.

Harry cautiously peered in. Draco was asleep, but he was clearly in distress.

Sighing Harry stepped closer and the dragon launched itself onto Draco's chest breathing fire onto the blonde boy in an attempt to wake him from his nightmare. It was having no effect. The Dragon tried again and there was no hint that Draco was close to waking up and the creature became more agitated.

"You want me to wake him up, don't you?" Harry asked and the Dragon bowed his head in ascent its long tail snapping from side to side in agitation.

"Fine, but if he has a go at me I am leaving" The Dragon just bowed it's head once again in acceptance of the terms.

Harry sat on the bed wondering what the easiest way might be to wake the boy up to cause the least amount of fall out. As he deliberated, Draco started to speak.

"Please Potter, don't." Draco begged and Harry frowned. What the hell was he doing to Draco in the nightmare.

"I'm sorry, just please don't."

Harry went to shake Draco awake, grasping his bicep he rocked the boy firmly.

"Please Harry, I'll do anything. Don't go, I'm so scared." crying again now in his sleep and begging him not to leave. Harry's heart gave a lurch and he tried to quell the guilt that made itself known.

Harry shook him again, harder this time not willing to let the boy say anything else. Finally, after another good shake Draco opened his eyes staring straight at Harry.

Harry immediately took a step back and released the Slytherin moving towards the door ever so slightly.

"Before you freak out your little dragon over there came and got me, it didn't leave me much choice other than to wake you up, what with the threat of being set on fire looming over me." Harry frowned at the little Dragon who was curling itself up protectively in front of Draco.

Draco just blinked dazedly, wiping the tears from his puffy eyes and nodding.

"Well, you're awake now so I'm going back to bed." Harry turned and made to escape.

"Thanks Potter."

Harry stopped at that murmuring a 'you're welcome.'

Just as he had made it back to his own bedroom door Draco's opened behind him.

"Potter? Erm... Harry?"

Harry stopped still with his hand on his door handle.

"I'm, well. I mean, last night. It's just that... I was scared and... I shouldn't... I shouldn't have spoken to you the way I did."

Harry turned at this to face Draco.

"You mean you're sorry?" Harry asked, coldly.

Draco wouldn't meet his eyes, he just nodded sighing.

"Me too, goodnight Draco. We can talk in the morning okay."

Draco stayed, looking at the floor and nodding silently once again.

Harry felt the need to comfort the other boy but he was still pretty angry so he pushed the feeling away and entered his bedroom without another word, listening to Draco's door close moments after his own.

Harry climbed back into bed and fell back to sleep.

Earlier in the evening in Gryffindor tower Hermione was contemplating her purchases, safely hidden away behind the heavy velvet drapes of her four-poster bed. The plan she had cultivated would make Slytherin himself proud.

She gently unwrapped the underwear set she had selected. After much deliberation she had decided upon a low cut, silk balcony bra in a deep shade of Slytherin Green which barely covered her nipples. She paired it with a matching set of French style panties which showed of an inch or two of her firm behind.

She knew she was going to have to entice her target, he would not be drawn in easily after all. So in order to maximise the chances of an 'accidental' peak of her new underwear she had also picked herself out a new, slightly (or very much) shorter than regulations, pleated school skirt.

When she had tried it out in the shop she was pleased to see that it showed a scandalous amount of leg. Were she to retrieve a potion ingredient from the far side of the table for instance Snape would end up with a cheeky peak of her newly acquired underwear. She had also grabbed herself a tightly fitted school shirt, once again not entirely in line with the school regulations but Hermione was less than concerned with that.

She was 18 years old now after all and after the events of the war she couldn't give a damn if she bent a rule or two. The shop owner a mild-mannered lady by the name of Rosa had merely offered her a knowing smile and a wink when she had placed the skirt and shirt on the till area to pay for them. Hermione simply blushed, smiling all the way back up to Hogwarts.

Professor Snape wasn't going to know what hit him.

Her plan was to tease and seduce the man to within an inch of his life before their private lesson on Saturday evening. She didn't think she could count her plan as a success unless Snape was sat with a raging hard on by the end of the first lesson.

The warmth between her legs gave her an indication of just how much it turned her on to think of Snape in that predicament, brought on by her and with no chance of relief.

Then just as he would be contemplating giving in and bending her over the desk (a now much loved fantasy of hers) she would walk out and leave him to stew for an entire night and the following day. By the time Saturday evening came around he would be on his knees begging.

She made sure to tidy away her new treasures before one of her nosey roommates decided to check in on her. Eager to end the day as quickly as possible she snuggled herself under her bed covers and closed her eyes thinking only of Snape's lips on hers, his scent surrounding her, his hands holding her close to that toned chest.

Her hand made its way down to the nest of neatly trimmed curls between her legs and began to move gently back and forth as she played out a particularly naughty fantasy she had been working herself up over all day.

It started with her alone in her bed in Gryffindor tower, everybody else was gone perhaps it was the Christmas holidays? Hermione didn't care much for why or how she was alone to be honest, only that she was. Her head tilted back onto her pillows, eyes closed. She was nude on top of her covers moving her hands over her soft skin. First over her breasts, then over her taught flat stomach and then on to her hips down the sides of her thighs and then inwards towards the heat that was mounting in between her legs.

It was a shock, when a second set of hands joined hers. Taking in every detail of her body inch by inch teasing and pinching, twisting and taunting her until she could take no more and she would open her eyes to be greeted with an equally naked Snape.

He would say her name, telling her how much of a naughty girl she was for ensnaring her Professor. For begging him to taste her, to fuck her and she would only nod and tell him she was a naughty girl just for him.

He would ask her if she wanted him to taste her right now, and without answering she would pull him down towards her. Pushing him down the length of her body until his mouth met with the one place she wished she could have him most. He would lap at her, twisting his tongue around her clit in the most delicious circles before dipping into her heat and making her groan in pleasure pressing her thighs to either side of his head and grinding herself over and over until she would finally find her completion. He would smile up at her licking his lips, something she never got to see. It was no secret that Snape never smiled, she was thrilled by the idea that maybe she could be the reason for that smile.

Could she make him happy? A man who would achieve a gold medal in a 'World's most miserable man' competition. Well, she would damn well try.

Hermione's hand stilled and her breath came out in shudders. She opened her eyes, disappointed with the fact that she was alone within the confines of her bed. She knew that once she had him hooked, she would make sure that fantasy became a reality. She just had to be patient.

The next morning Hermione dressed to impress, she donned her new purchases and made sure she had enough time to apply a little makeup, it made her look a little older and that could only help her cause.

She met Harry and Ron at breakfast, their assessment of her appearance served only to bolster her confidence for potions that afternoon.

"Blimey 'mione you look... well..." Ron stumbled over his words.

"Hot" Supplied Seamus with a wink. "Missed a trick there haven't ya mate, Hermione is a fox.' He added, punching Ron in the arm for good measure.

Ron grumbled something about Hermione never making that kind of effort with him, all whilst rubbing his injured arm. He purposely diverted his eyes away from her to grab some sausages from the large platter in front of him and shovelled them into his mouth.

"You seem to be in a much better mood than you were yesterday Harry, have things with Malfoy improved at all?"

Harry still didn't want to talk about it. Malfoy had presumably still been sleeping this morning as he got dressed, so still a little sore about the whole subject he had decided to come down to breakfast with his friends and avoid having their little chat until after classes that evening. Harry dodged the question by drawing attention back to Hermione.

"Hermione, did you shrink your skirt I can almost see your..." Harry whispered to her.

She smiled sitting herself carefully on the bench between Harry and Ron leaning on the table to grab herself some toast.

"Is it a crime to want to look a little more appealing for a change."

"Of course not, sorry it's just that … well..." Harry decided to quit while he was ahead and kept his mouth shut.

"Snape's staring over here Harry, he's got a right funny look on his face. What did you do to rattle his cage this time?" Dean provided from the other side of the table.

Hermione, Ron and Harry looked up at the teachers table all at the same time. Hermione knew instantly he was looking at her, rather than them as a whole, as their eyes locked together immovably. He stood from the table and walked swiftly over to the Gryffindor table standing behind Hermione.

"If you will accompany me Miss Granger."

"Of course Professor." She replied happily, following Snape and his billowing robes out of the Great Hall.

Snape kept walking until they had reached a little used corridor, the same corridor he used to talk with Draco in sixth year during his little 'assignment'.

"Don't think I don't know what you are up to Miss Granger. I can assure you that it will not work."

"I'm quite sure I don't know what you mean professor." Hermione was the picture of innocence, from the shoulders up at least.

"Though I am flattered that you are apparently angling for a repeat of our previous _rendezvous_ , I thought I had made myself perfectly clear that it can never happen again."

Though Snape's usual drawl was firmly in place, his words were spoken at a quicker pace than Hermione was used to, belying his obvious nervousness with the situation. Hermione had the upper hand and she knew it, her plan was working before she had even intended it to. She responded after a thoughtful look, she was going to have fun with this.

"You presume, Professor that my current attire is for your benefit?"

Snape opened his mouth, his frown deepening before he quickly closed it again saying nothing.

Hermione gave him a sultry smile as she leant her shoulder on the wall crossing one leg over the other, staring at her nails rather than him as though they were the most interesting this in the world.

"It is, for you, obviously. Really sir, the fact that you noticed from all the way up at the teachers table told me all I needed to know."

"Which is?" Snape was starting to sound annoyed. Hermione didn't want him to get to the point of anger, she needed him simmering for the next few hours before potions, just enough to keep her at the forefront of him mind.

"It's only a matter of time Professor. Are we finished here, only I was really rather enjoying my breakfast."

"Your confidence is astounding Miss Granger, I am sure a lesser man would have buckled under your attentions. I can assure you however that the matter of time is not up for debate. I can only reiterate my earlier sentiment, it will _never_ happen again. Please do go and enjoy the last of your breakfast."

Snape's tone was back to cold and calculating and there was no rush to his words as he spoke. Hermione's confidence slipping from her. Snape's dismissal had planted a seed of doubt, as she turned on her heel and practically fled the corridor, he brain started to go into overdrive. Had she made a fool of herself?

 _What in god's name am I doing? I am such an idiot, why did I think I could seduce Severus Snape of all people!_

She had decided her best course of action was to go back to her dorm before class and change into her usual uniform.

She turned back towards him once just before she made it to the corner and out of his sight. Her confidence flared back to life coiling in her chest in self-satisfaction, as she saw his gaze lingering on the hem of her skirt. Throwing caution to the wind she called to him.

"They're Slytherin green." And with a wink, she disappeared around the corner and out of sight before he could respond.

Snape stood dumbfounded, he couldn't believe he had allowed himself to gawp after her when he had just successfully shut her down. Now he feared she was right, it was only a matter of time. He was going to have to do something drastic, either that or admit defeat and face the fact that he was screwed... literally. Snape found himself wondering if that really was a bad thing after all, shaking his head he made his way down to the dungeons. Perhaps there would be time for a cold shower before lessons began.

It was a long morning for Hermione, she was counted down the minutes to her lesson with Snape as she sat with Harry and Ron in the great hall for lunch. She had garnered a few wolf whistles during her wanderings between classes thanks to her new uniform. Ron had visibly bristled on several occasions the more attention Hermione got the darker his mood seemed to be, though she couldn't decide if it was jealousy or protectiveness on his part that was causing his ire.

Another wolf whistle and a yell of 'Looking sexy girl' from across the hall and Ron snapped.

"Who said that?" He yelled, dozens of pairs of eyes turned towards him.

"Come on own up!"

"Ron mate, calm down." Harry pleaded.

"No Harry, they think they can treat Hermione like a piece of meat and I am not going to let that happen"

"Protectiveness then." Hermione mumbled with a smile, though nobody heard.

"Leave it Ron, it's okay. It's really sweet that you want to look out for me, but really I am kind of asking for it dressed like this aren't I?" She stood speaking softly in his ear.

He turned to her frowning sadly.

"You deserve better than that Hermione." He whispered close to her ear, to anyone outside of the trio it would have been a very intimate gesture. Of course, the three of them knew otherwise. It didn't stop Snape's attention once again finding Hermione.

On impulse she wrapped her arms around Ron in a gentle hug, he responded immediately squeezing her tightly. She smiled as Snape winced and looked away furtively ignoring the exchange and giving the impression that he was paying the event no notice whatsoever.

"It's okay Ron, I know exactly what I'm doing okay?" Ron simply nodded and started gathering his things ready for their class which was about to start.

Hermione's smile spread from ear to ear as she made to do the same. It was potions next and she was more than prepared.

The entire lesson Hermione was completely ignored, it started to go noticed by Harry and Ron who by association were also, being ignored.

"What did Snape want to talk to you about at breakfast Hermione because we haven't been abused all lesson." Harry asked with a peculiar look on his face.

"Ah nothing of any note, just enjoy not being beaten on the head with a book for a change." She responded but her cheeks coloured a little with the start of a blush.

 _Time to put the plan into action._

Hermione pushed her inkwell off the desk smashing it loudly on the floor. Snape, who was at the neighbouring desk with Dean and Seamus trying to ensure the entire classroom didn't go up in smoke from the potion they were brewing, turned on her quickly at the noise.

By the time his eyes were on her she was on her knees, he pert arse on show along with the green lace panties she wore underneath as she cleaned it up by hand. Snape's eyes went wide at the sight.

With a quick spell he banished the mess. Remaining on her knees she looked over her shoulder.

"Thanks professor, why didn't I think of that?"

"Why indeed Miss Granger?"

Snape took in a long breath and turned back to Dean and Seamus who both received a book to the head for their remarks on Hermione's underwear.

Hermione watched Snape who was pointedly ignoring her and her table once more. He moved to the desk in front of hers to check on the Patil twins' potion.

She moved to the opposite side of her desk with her back to Snape. This time the only eyes on her were Snape's as the rest of the class concentrated on their potions. Leaning over the desk to reach for some ginger root she smiled deeply to herself when she heard the tell-tale clearing of his throat as he caught his second glimpse of her rear. Satisfied, she returned to her seat adding the root to the potion and stirring the potion gently.

Hermione peered up at him through her lashes and smirked dropping her gaze as she saw him rearrange his robes to hide his now straining erection.

The rest of the lesson saw Snape behind his desk and as the lesson ended he didn't spare her another glance.

Hermione was unperturbed. She had achieved her goal, now she just needed to let him stew until the following evening.

"Dismissed." Snape said to the class, and with a smile she moved to the exit.

Draco was sat in the common room looking every inch the perfect little rich boy, Harry didn't think the Slytherin had ever looked so hot. His robes were perfectly pressed, his hair was tidy, clean and now long enough to tie back in a black ribbon. His long legs were crossed at the ankle and his expensive dragonhide boots were propped on the table in front of him as he read an arithmancy book with marked interest. So much so that he didn't lift his eyes from it for a good minute whilst Harry stared at him, unmoving in the door way to their rooms.

Eventually, when Draco started to feel the warmth of a blush creep into his cheeks he snapped the book shut tossing it to the side of him carelessly, where it landed with a loud thump on the floor breaking Harry's stare.

"Are you ready to talk or are you planning to continuously stare at me like I'm a dancing Acromantula?" Draco asked, the hint of a waver in his voice.

Harry closed the door and crossed the room and sat on the sofa opposite Malfoy.

"Yes talk. We should do that."

Draco nodded, but was lost for words. Neither boy spoke for what felt like forever and then simultaneously they both said.

"Sorry"

Which led them both to smile.

"I'll go first." Harry said.

"I am sorry Mal... Draco, for being an impatient self-centred arse to you. There really was no need for me to be so short with you. I can't even begin to comprehend what you are going through and if you need to take your anger out on me sometimes then that is fine."

Draco was shocked, he wasn't expecting an open invitation from Harry to use him as target practise when his anger flared up.

"Thank you, Harry. I am sorry too. There was no excuse for the way I spoke to you. I will try, and I mean really try this time, to reign in my emotions and try not to verbally attack you every time I get upset. Besides, I would have been so much better off with you holding me that night, and last night." Draco finished his sentence with a pout, his eyes trained on his knees lest the Gryffindor see the tears threatening to fall.

Harry was by his side in a matter of seconds and placed his hand on Draco's shoulder, squeezing encouragingly. Draco turned into harry curling up into his side, swinging his legs over Harry's lap and throwing his arms round the other boy, bridal style.

Harry smiled warmly, though Draco couldn't see and wrapped his own arms around the slender form of his old rival. Resting his chin on Malfoy's soft blonde hair he moved the two of them back into a comfortable position on the couch where they stayed contentedly until both boys fell fast asleep.

Harry was roused some time later by a soft groaning. Snuffling somewhat in his sleepy state he flicked a tempus charm realising it was close to eight in the evening he went to wake the owner of the warm body pressed against him.

Draco groaned again and rocked into Harry.

"Harry, mmmmm."

Harry was wide awake at the sultry sounds emitting from Malfoy. Shaking the boy seemed only to produce more moans from the open lips that were so close now to Harry's own.

He couldn't take his eyes from the full lower lip below his, he wanted to lick it.

He was debating with himself so long as to whether he would get away with a taste he had failed to realise that Draco had awoken. It wasn't until those lips Harry was lusting after curled up into a smirk that he knew he had once again been caught staring.

He didn't have a chance to defend himself before he was being pulled down harshly into a bruising kiss, it was Harry's turn to groan now and he did, loud and long as though he was tasting the most delicious thing known to man.

Harry repositioned himself to lay half on top of Draco, half on the sofa with Draco on his back below him. They kissed for at least 10 minutes, mapping out the feel of each other with roving hands before Draco got frustrated with the amount of clothes that were separating the pair.

"Can I?" Draco asked, panting. His pupils were blown wide with lust and his hand was pushing Harry's robe away gently.

Harry moved back to allow Draco to remove his robe, followed by his tie, and shirt at which point Harry helped Draco do the same. Harry offered a shy smile and pushed the other boy back to his previous position licking his lips at the sight of Draco's naked chest.

Harry trailed kisses along Draco's collar bone and neck reducing the boy to a quivering mess before returning to his lips. Draco's hands were never still, following the contours of Harry's back and marvelling at the muscles rippling beneath his touch.

Right then in that moment, Draco wasn't thinking of anything other than Harry. There was no fear, no pain just the feeling of being worshipped and being the luckiest man in the world.

 _You don't deserve him._

Draco's inner self was fighting back. He shook his head and tried to lose himself in the feeling of Harry once again.

 _This won't last, you are going to fuck it up again._

Draco screwed his eyes shut and kissed Harry back with an intensity that was bordering on painful. Drawing Harry's lower lip between his teeth he bit down hard enough to draw blood and Harry pulled back quickly holding his hand to his injured lip and wincing at the blood that spilled onto his fingertips.

"Take it easy Malfoy."

 _Malfoy, see._

Tears blurred his vision, as he flopped back onto the sofa squeezing his eyes shut tightly.

"I'm Sorry Harry, I didn't mean..." He didn't know what to say, a desperate sob escaping his throat.

Harry was on him instantly, gently smoothing his hands through Draco's hair his hand coming to rest with his fingers wrapped around the back of his neck and his thumb moving back and forth soothingly on his jaw.

When Draco opened his eyes he was met with the brilliant green of Harry's inches away.

"It's okay, we just got a little caught up didn't we?" Harry winked at Draco, with his Gryffindor bravery allowing him to take control of the situation.

"I've got you Draco, there is nothing to be afraid of anymore. I'm not going anywhere." Harry could practically hear Draco's words from the previous night begging him not to leave.

Draco let out a sigh, but the worried frown didn't leave his face.

With a wordless healing charm Harry's lip was as good as new and he pressed forwards once more for another gentle kiss. When he pulled away, Draco smiled at him tentatively.

"Maybe I am going to be okay?" The words escaping the blonde were breathy and shaky.

"I'll make sure of it, we will make sure of it" Harry whispered, pulling Draco to him and holding him tightly.

"Promise?" Draco asked.

"I Promise."


	11. Chapter 11

**Not entirely happy with how this chapter turned out but I have had such lovely reviews I thought I would update early. Happy Monday.**

 **Thanks to everyone who has reviewed, you are so kind I really apprectiate it.**

When Draco opened his eyes he was back safe and sound in his own bed, he couldn't remember moving from the sofa so he assumed that Harry had moved him whilst he slept.

His Gryffindor hero was quietly snoring behind him, his arm slung lazily around Draco's midriff, his nose was pressed into the back of Draco's neck. Draco frowned, he had never really seen himself as the 'little spoon' but he supposed he could let it slide this once. Smiling to himself, Draco wriggled down deeper into the embrace and enjoyed the heat emitted from the warm, firm body behind him.

Closing his eyes once again he drifted back off into a dreamless escape for just a little longer.

… **...**

Hermione was digging noisily through her clothes, she was trying to find something that might be considered even a little bit sexy and she was seriously struggling.

"Why is everything that I own so..."

"Hideous?" Asked Fay Dunbar, one of Hermione's dorm mates from across the room.

Hermione was about to defend herself but looking down at the pile of clothes strewn around her she realised Fay was exactly right.

"Yes." She said exasperated.

"Judging by the way you were dressed yesterday I would imagine you have an eye on a certain someone... is that correct?" Fay asked with a twinkle in her eye as she dropped herself down to sit on Hermione's bed.

"No comment." Hermione said suspiciously.

"Well maybe I need a little help with some Arithmancy homework and just maybe I have a very cute little burgundy mini dress that you would look divine in. I guarantee that whoever your prey is, he would have to be blind, deaf and dead to resist you in it."

"Done. Where's the dress?" Hermione said, standing up sharply.

Fay's eyebrows shot up into her hairline and she quickly made her way to her trunk and pulled out the mini dress and a thin black cashmere cardigan to complement it.

"Here you are."

Hermione's eyes shone, it was absolutely perfect.

"I will have your homework done by Sunday evening" Hermione said as she pressed the dress up against her, admiring the reflection in the floor length mirror at the far side of the room.

"We are friends Hermione, I just want your help with it not for you to do it for me. Honestly girl, if I didn't know any better I would have thought you had been polyjuiced, you're like a Crup in heat. Between the outfit yesterday and the way you are acting this morning anyone would have thought you had gone nuts." Fay said, moving back to lay down on Hermione's bed.

"You have no idea." Hermione smiled at her friend.

"Just be careful Hermione, Slytherin's are known to be devious little bastards."

"Yeah so I've heard... wait, I didn't tell you he was a Slytherin." Hermione panicked.

 _Does she know it's Snape? Oh fuck._

"You didn't have to, everyone got a glimpse of your knickers yesterday. You know I don't think I have once seen you voluntarily wear anything in Slytherin green. It's a dead giveaway."

 _Euch, and I thought I was being subtle._ Hermione let out the breath she didn't even know she was holding. _At least she doesn't know who._

"So who is it?" Fay pressed, turning onto her belly so she could face her friend.

"Ah, now that would be telling." Hermione started to sweat, but she smiled.

 _And you would die on the spot if I told you._ She added mentally, grimacing.

"You tease!" Fay went silent for a moment whilst she seemingly tried to come up with a viable option.

"Is it Zabini, he is fucking gorgeous and the way he was eyeing you yesterday, I think he would definitely give you a go."

"Ew, no. So not my type and really Fay, 'Give me a go' that's so coarse."

"Now that sounds more like the Hermione I know. Not Zabini then..." Fay mused "Oh Jesus, it's not Malfoy is it?"

"That wouldn't make any sense, nobody but Harry has seen Malfoy since the Battle so no, it's not Malfoy." Hermione said as she pulled on and smoothed down the mini dress that hugged her petite body in all the right places, shrugging on the black cardigan and moving back to the mirror to appraise herself.

"You know Hermione, that dress looks way better on you than it did me, you should keep it."

"Are you serious?"

"I'll just buy myself something new." Fay nodded waving her hand.

"What about the shoes? What should I wear?"

"Your black ballerinas I reckon, they would look adorable"

Hermione nodded and after digging unsuccessfully through the piles of clothes still lying on the floor she finally grabbed her wand and cast Accio moments later the shoes flung themselves at her, narrowly missing her head. She sat on the bed next to fay to put them on before huffing at the destruction all around her. With a determined look on her face and a practiced flick of her wrist every scrap of it was banished, disappearing in an instant.

"Hey fay? Want to go shopping?"

It was Fay's turn to look excited and she nodded enthusiastically.

 **...**

Harry was awake, he had been for about half an hour but he was completely unwilling to move lest he wake Draco who was sleeping soundly beside him. Harry had used his time awake to think and he had come to the conclusion that he was content. Everything about, whatever it was, that was going on between Draco and himself should by all accounts scare the living hell out of him. None of it did though, not the arguing, or the fact that he was currently cuddled up with his arch nemesis. Not to mention the fact that he was in fact cuddled up with a _boy_. Just a few months prior, the knowledge would have been more likely to give him a heart attack or lead him to believe he was officially going insane, but now that couldn't be further from the truth.

He gently pressed a kiss to the soft blonde wisps of hair at the nape of Draco's neck. When the other boys breathing remained deep and even he pressed a little harder, kissing his way to the back of Draco's ear. He felt a little braver, he was sure that Draco was awake now as his breathing had quickened ever so slightly. Harry pushed himself up on his arm, kissing further still past Draco's ear and onto his cheek.

Draco hummed his approval, rolling towards Harry onto his back in order to allow him access to his mouth.

"That may be my new favourite way to wake up." Draco said, his voice raspy with sleep.

Smiling up at Harry and stretching himself out languorously, he continued.

"I didn't say stop" Draco whispered.

Harry blushed, and offered Draco a playful smile.

"If it's your favourite, perhaps we should make it a habit." Harry said, leaning down and kissing Draco gently on his lips.

"That depends. Are you planning on making this an everyday sort of habit? Or more like an every once in a while, sort of habit?" Draco asked.

Harry faltered at that, he was lost as to what the correct answer to that question was. His mind was screaming _everyday_ but would Draco go for that? Maybe Draco just wanted a quick fling with Harry. For lack of an answer he decided to give a shrug and made to lay back down next to the blonde.

Draco rolled his eyes pulling Harry back to him none too gently before kissing him deeply licking his tongue gently over Harry's lower lip in the echo of an apology for the bite he had given him the night before.

"I believe every day would be more than acceptable." Draco assured Harry, pressing his morning erection firmly into Harry's own to affirm his interest. Harry's eyes slid shut at the feeling, pressing himself forwards in reply.

"Harry" Draco gasped.

Neither boy could be quite sure how they both ended up naked in the moments that followed, desperate hands tugged at the clothes that kept them separated with such abandon that it was any wonder one or both of them hadn't ended up injured. When their cocks met again, skin on skin Draco moaned and Harry shivered pleasurably pressing himself as close to the other boy as possible. There was an intesity between them that threatened to burn them both alive and before they knew it they were moving against each other, rocking gently almost shyly but gradually gaining momentum.

Their eyes were locked together as the heat began to increase with each movement. Harry whispered a charm that Draco's ears failed to catch but not a second later there was a soft slickness between them and Draco was grateful.

"Ever the gentleman, Potter." Draco grinned as he thrust against Harry firmly.

Harry's movements faltered at the use of his last name, it was undeniably hot to hear Draco use it in this context. There was no venom and it sounded like pure sex.

"God Malfoy, you feel so good."

Draco only nodded keeping his eyes trained on Harry's.

Harry was blushing he knew it but to hide his nervousness he moved himself to lay completely on top of Draco one hand planted on either side of Draco's shoulders. It was Draco's turn to blush as he allowed Harry to position himself between his thighs, spreading them wider with more enthusiasm than he thought he might.

They rocked more insistently now, the new position allowing more friction. Harry set the pace, quick but not too quick and he lowered himself to Draco's mouth for a kiss immediately begging entry with his tongue which was granted almost as quickly.

The two boys kissed deeply as they both pressed forwards towards their orgasms, Draco's hands trailing down Harry's back and grasping his arse taking a firm hold of it as it tensed and relaxed with each press of his hips.

It wasn't long before Harry's breathing turned ragged, the demanding hands on his arse turning him on even more. Harry was embarrassed, he was hoping he could have lasted longer trying to impress Draco but he was so turned on he couldn't control himself.

"Draco, I'm gonna."

"Yes Harry, yes... me too. God you feel so good."

Harry kissed Draco again at that and hummed in satisfaction when he felt the lithe body beneath his go tense and a warm wetness spread over his body and cock.

"Harry. Fuck yes. Potter" Draco cried his head tipped back and his eyes squeezed shut as he canted his hips upwards in jerky motions.

That was too much for Harry and he followed Draco with an explosive orgasm glancing down between them for the first time and seeing their cocks pressed together coated in their mixed spendings, he thought he might come again from the sight alone.

As the last wave of bliss crashed over him he collapsed on top of Draco, whose arms wrapped around him in a possessive embrace. They stayed like that whilst they got their breath back before Harry extricated himself from Draco's hold to lay back down next to him.

"Well that was..."

"That was what?" Draco interrupted nervously.

Harry's closed eyes shot open and landed on Draco, he was frowning and he looked a little like he was either going to punch Harry or burst into tears but he wasn't sure which. Sensing that Draco was about to have one of his mood swings Harry didn't bother trying to fathom out which he just answered quickly.

"Amazing? Sexy? Perfect? All of those things." Harry smiled a genuine smile at Draco and the boy visibly relaxed touching his fingertips to Harry's bare chest.

"Thank you, Harry." Draco breathed.

"I think we might have to make that an everyday kind of habit too, don't you?" Harry smirked.

"If you think you can manage it, though I have several other ideas that might just rival that one."

Harry laughed but quickly grimaced at the drying fluids on his belly. He flicked off the bed covers and rolled off the bed making his was round to Draco's side and holding out his hand.

"Would you care to take a bath with me?" Harry asked with a lopsided smile.

Draco laughed nastily at that, staring at Harry's hand he laughed even harder bypassing Harry's hand altogether and pushing the other boy roughly out of the way heading for the bedroom door.

"Please Potter, I am not a girl you needn't treat me like a pretty princess." Draco turned to see Potter staring at him paying little attention to a word he was saying.

"What?" Draco snapped.

"It's just your arse." Harry replied, his eyes never leaving said arse until Draco turned to face him his arms folded and his lips pursed.

"I'll have you know I have never had any complaints about it before, it's a very fine arse." Draco said in a stroppy tone, dropping one hip and looking to Harry like he was sex on legs.

"Oh it certainly is, that's the problem you see, I can't take my eyes off it and now you have gone and hidden it. Turn around Malfoy."

Draco was physically flustered.

"Potter if you are having me on I swear to any gods that are listening I will …"

"No really..." Harry interrupted. "...turn around Draco, I just wanna bite it."

Draco's mouth dropped open at that and he backed up to the door.

Harry smirked, he had successfully averted another of Draco's mood swings.

 _I'm getting damn good at this._ He thought to himself happily before advancing on his prey.

"Potter I'm warning you if your teeth come anywhere near my arse, so help me god I'll..." Draco threatened as he fumbled for the door handle his back pressed against the wood protecting his rear.

Harry had reached Draco before he had won his battle with the door and he now had him pinned firmly up against it chest to chest once again.

"You'll what Draco?" Harry breathed seductively.

Draco's knees almost gave way with the shivers that wracked his body.

"I'll do something you really wont like" Draco answered weakly.

Harry chuckled and moved in for a kiss, just before their lips met Draco whispered something Harry didn't understand.

"Ligero"

Harry was too preoccupied with Draco's mouth to notice the little dragon behind him. He wasn't too preoccupied however, to notice the fierce burning sensation that licked at his own arse seconds later.

Harry let out a yelp and flew round to be greeted with Draco's ethereal Dragon bounding in circles at a job well done. Frowning and rubbing at his tender arse by the time he had turned back to Draco the boy had already bolted out of the door and towards the bathroom laughing heartily at the Gryffindor's expense.

 _The little shit!_

Harry couldn't help but laugh a little himself, though he made to follow Draco pretty quickly when the beast in front of him looked as though it was going to add a hot dog to the menu as it eyed his nether parts.

"No fair Malfoy, now give me a bite of that arse." He called.

… **...**

Hermione was back in her dorm alone, Fay had left her to organise her dozen or so shopping bags and had headed down to Dinner with the Patil twins. Hermione was spoilt for choice, she had at least twenty different outfits. Some were functional but sexy, her hands stroked over a pair of tight and extremely soft black skinny jeans. Some were just sexy and definitely something Hermione would have to get used to, she eyed a bag with a black dress in that was so tight she would have to go commando to wear it. Lastly there were some that were just down right slutty, even Pansy Parkinson would have a hard time justifying wearing those and she was planning on keeping those for after the battle with Snape had been won.

Hermione decided to stick with the dress that Fay had leant her but swapped her shoes for a new pair of black patent leather kitten heals that were another trophy from today's shopping trip. Hermione touched up her makeup and decided it was time to head down to the dungeons.

As she neared the Potions classroom she kept repeating a line of advice that Fay had told her over coffee that afternoon. 'Confidence is sexy Hermione, show him who's boss.' Taking a deep breath, she didn't hesitate when she reached the door, she opened it with as much confidence as she could muster and walked gracefully into the room.

The sight that greeted her wasn't only disappointing it was horrifying. There he was, sat behind his desk shuffling papers and failing to look up at her once but that wasn't so much of a problem. There was a problem though, a huge one and it went by the name of Cormac McLaggen. The stuck-up idiot was sat at the first desk, smiling at Hermione and patting the seat next to him as an invitation.

Hermione tried not to throw up in her mouth as she made her way over to Professor Snape. Standing before him, she cleared her throat. Once again failing to look up at her, he responded.

"Yes miss Granger."

"Have I gotten the time for our lesson wrong professor, only it appears that Cormac is sitting at my desk."

"How astute an observation, perhaps you should consider Auror as a profession Miss Granger. As it happens Mr McLaggen here shares your interest in advanced potions and it would be a grave misjustice for me to deny one student extra tuition when I have already granted my precious time to another would it not?"

Hermione's mouth fell open and her lower jaw jutted forward in disbelief, she looked between Snape and her stalker trying to formulate an argument to rid herself of her fellow Gryffindor. Snape had her over a barrell though and she knew it, as lovely as the image was that popped up into her lust filled brain she knew she was defeated.

"Of course professor." She remarked coldly, heading over to the seat next to McLaggen and sitting down.

 _You sneaky, sexy git._ She thought as she took out her supplies for the lesson.

Snape finally looked up at her when she had taken her seat, his eyes quickly moved onto the only other person in the room when he noticed her dress and for the rest of the lesson Snape made a point of looking only at McLaggen or at his desk. Of course, McLaggen made a point of only looking at her and asked her if she would consider meeting him that night for a romantic walk of the grounds no less than three times before he got that message the she was uninterested. The lesson was tedious as her classmate was slow on the uptake and it was obvious from the start that he would probably be failing his newt never mind expert level potions.

Uncharacteristically Snape seemed to have all the time in the world for any questions Cormac came up with, all of which Hermione had known the answers to since she got on the Hogwarts express in first year. When it finally came to the pair of them being dismissed Snape took one last look at Hermione before he exited the classroom and entered his private quarters.

Hermione was pissed off to say the least, Cormac couldn't wait to get out after being so vehemently denied a date so it didn't take long for her to be left on her own gathering her books and stuffing them in her bag angrily.

She had reached the exit of the classroom before she stopped, why should he be allowed to get away with ruining her lesson. Regardless of any extracurriculars she desired with her professor she still wanted to pass this qualification and Cormac had been such a hazard during the past two hours that Hermione had learnt next to nothing. Throwing her bag down she stormed over to the door through which Snape had exited and knocked on it sharply.

"Professor, I need a word with you urgently."

There was no reply, so she knocked again, more loudly this time. When she received no answer a surge of courage overtook her and she seized the door handle and to her surprise it opened.

 _It's not like anyone but me would voluntarily risk their lives to pursue Snape into his private quarters._ Her mind chipped in.

The room she entered into was absolutely stunning, there was a fire blazing in the old fireplace. It was massive and was obviously connected to the floo network at one time or another. All of the furniture was antique mahogany and plush black velvet sofas adorned the room on two sides, to Hermione's surprise there was no Slytherin green to be seen. She mentally made a note to get some black underwear next time she ventured out of the school for a shopping trip.

There was a strange sound coming from the room off to the side of the sitting room Hermione was sat in and she quietly made her way through to the door behind which the sound was coming from.

The sight that she was confronted with was something out of her wettest dream. Snape was naked from head to toe, and he was sat on a large black velvet chaise that stood at the side of the room. The dim candlelight was bathing Snape in a warm glow that made him look less sickly, less gothic. His head was tipped all the way back, his mouth open and his eyes closed. His thighs were spread wide and Hermione was greeted with a full view of him as his hand moved up and down slowly on gliding over his hard cock. His chest was moving up and down in deep labored breaths as though he were closing in on his orgasm already.

All of a sudden Snape's head snapped forwards, his eyes open and trained on Hermione. There was such an intensity behind them that Hermione felt about 10 inches tall. His hand didn't falter however and he continued to stroke himself to his completion.

"Are you thinking of me professor?"

Snape nodded his breath catching as his thumb pressed into the sensitive slit of his leaking cock and he spread his legs a little wider, pressing his hips up into his hand.

Emboldened by this Hermione took a step towards him, then another until she was standing just out of arm's length of him.

"What am I doing in your thoughts professor?"

Another sharp intake of breath and Snape closed his eyes for a few seconds trying to regain control of himself, his hand never stopping its rhythmic motion.

Hermione took control, remaining out of arms reach she shrugged off the cardigan and threw it to the floor.

"Are you fucking my mouth professor? Or am I bent over your desk perhaps?" She reached for the hem of her dress, pulling it up and over her head deftly after which it joined the cardigan on the floor. She stood before him in nothing but a set of deep red underwear.

Snape started panting more heavily but didn't respond other than to shake his head.

"I see." She said stepping close enough to him that she could feel the heat from his body teasing her thighs. She leant in so her lips were scarcely a hairs breadth away from his ear and she whispered.

"Am I riding you here, right now? Bouncing on your cock whilst I scream your name? Severus."

That was enough for Snape and his hands came up to lift her wrapping tightly around the waist pulling her to him and placing her on his lap so the lace of her knickers was the only thing keeping him from entering her.

Hermione squealed at the power of the man beneath her and she smiled at him in victory. He pressed his lips to hers forcing his tongue into her mouth and she gladly accepted kissing him back hungrily.

"Please Severus." She begged before resuming the kiss.

He required no further prompting as he tore her underwear from her and entered her in one hard thrust of his hips. It was painful, Hermione might not be a virgin but she was far from experienced and she winced into the kiss.

Snape stilled pulling back only far enough to rest his forehead against hers, still buried to the hilt inside her. His hold on her became gentler, his hands smoothing up and down her sides in a soothing gesture.

He kissed her softly then, and Hermione's heart fluttered in her chest. He kissed her lips, cheeks and forehead before he removed his hand linking his fingers behind his head and leaning back to watch her on his lap.

Hermione shuddered, as she realised he was giving her the control and she took it rolling her hips experimentally and moaning at the feeling of him twitching with arousal inside of her.

Kneeling up a little Hermione did her best to move pleasurably up and down on his cock, she was shaky at first but she soon found her rhythm and he watched in awe as she rode him with abandon. She placed her hands on his chest to steady herself and eventually plucked up the courage to search out his lips for another kiss.

Snape's hand slipped down between them, his fingertips began to circle her clit and she began losing her rhythm as she moved quickly towards her orgasm. Snape took over pressing up into her at a punishing pace. It only took Hermione a few seconds to come at that and she collapsed onto his chest allowing him to pump into her a few more times before he lost himself to a powerful orgasm.

They panted heavily, Snape wrapping his arms around Hermione's waist and pressing her tightly to his chest.

"Tell me it almost worked?" Snape asked, the first words he had spoken since she had entered the room.

"Your little stunt with McLaggen you mean?" She asked, pulling back so she could look at him.

"Yes, tell me it almost stopped you."

"Stopped me? Stopped me from what, having mind blowing sex? Professor, nothing you could have done would have kept me away but if it makes you feel any better then yes, it almost worked."

Snape nodded.

"I am not the man you want to get involved with Miss Granger. You can't save me, I am beyond that."

Hermione's gaze softened at that, raising her hand to his cheek and stroking her thumb gently across his cheek bone.

"I don't intend on saving you. It is however my intent to prove to you that you are very much the man I want to be involved with and I want you just the way you are. Especially the way you are right now." She rolled her hips once more, his softening cock still inside her to emphasise her point.

He smiled at that, and there it was. The smile that she had so desperately wanted to see. It was small and it only lasted a few seconds before he pulled her back in for another sweet kiss but it was there and Hermione decided that her next mission was to make sure that smile was on his face more often that it was not.


End file.
